The Pembrokeshire Herald 17/04/2026

Doorstep warning issued after reports of suspicious callers

A WARNING has been issued to residents in parts of Pembrokeshire after separate social media reports of suspicious doorstep callers in both Haverfordwest and St Davids.

In Haverfordwest one resident said a man called at his home at around 6:10pm on Tuesday (Apr 14), claiming he was an ex-convict from South Shields selling cheap household goods in an effort to get his life back on track.

The Merlins Bridge resident said the man claimed there was a wider team operating in the area in a similar way. He reported that the caller then knocked at several more homes along Venns Close before heading towards Greenhill Drive and the roundabout.

The man was described as wearing black waterproof trousers and a royal blue waterproof coat, with dark medium-length hair and no hat. He was also said to be carrying a large holdall, possibly containing items for sale.

In a separate post circulating online, residents in St Davids were also warned to be cautious after reports of men wearing backpacks and baseball caps going door-to-door.

The post claimed police had been in the area several times during the day looking for the individuals. Residents were urged to keep doors locked and to contact police if they saw anything suspicious.

While none of the claims have been independently verified by The Herald, the reports have prompted calls for people to remain vigilant, secure doors, gates and vehicles, and check in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

Residents suggested the activity may be linked to so-called “Nottingham Knockers”, a term often used to describe cold callers selling goods door-to-door, sometimes amid concerns that vulnerable households may be targeted.

He said he had reported the Haverfordwest incident to Dyfed-

British Transport Police widens Tenby stabbing inquiry

BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE

say their investigation into the violent disorder at Tenby railway station is moving forward quickly, with five people now arrested in connection with the incident.

Four teenagers, aged between 13 and 17, were injured when violence

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broke out at the station late on Tuesday, April 7. All were taken to hospital, but police said their injuries were not lifethreatening.

The incident, which sent shockwaves

through the town, happened at around 9.50pm and involved a number of youths. The injured teenagers are understood to be from the Pembroke area.

Two people — a 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man — were first arrested following the disorder. Officers have

since confirmed that both were released on bail while enquiries continue.

A further three teenagers were later detained on Thursday, April 9 on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. They too have been bailed pending further investigation.

Police have stressed that the case remains active and that officers are continuing to gather evidence.

British Transport Police Superintendent Jonathon Cooze said officers were aware of the alarm caused by the violence and said more patrols would be seen in the area.

He said: “We know this incident has caused significant concern in Tenby and further afield, and I want to reassure the public that detectives are working hard to establish exactly what happened.

“We have now made five arrests in total, and enquiries are continuing at pace.

“We would still like to hear from anyone who saw the incident, or who may have information about the events leading up to it.”

Anyone with information is being asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 916 of April 7.

Officers are continuing to work alongside Dyfed-Powys Police, Transport for Wales and other agencies as part of the response.

The incident has renewed concern about knife violence involving young people in Pembrokeshire.

Romino’s licence revoked after illegal workers found and fire risks exposed

A TAKEAWAY in Cardigan has lost its premises licence after repeated enforcement visits uncovered illegal working and serious fire safety failings.

Ceredigion County Council’s Licensing Sub Committee decided to revoke the premises licence for Romino’s Pizza and Kebab following a hearing held on Monday, April 7.

The review was brought by Home Office Immigration Enforcement and supported by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and DyfedPowys Police.

During four separate visits to the business, officers found a total of eight

people said to be working illegally at the premises.

Fire safety inspectors also identified a number of serious breaches, leading to prohibition notices being issued because of the risks posed to staff, customers and the wider public.

The committee concluded that revoking the licence was proportionate and necessary in order to uphold the licensing objectives, in particular the prevention of crime and disorder and

the protection of public safety.

As a result of the decision, the business will now be required to close at 11:00pm unless an appeal is lodged.

A spokesperson for Ceredigion County Council said: “We welcome the Licensing Sub Committee’s decision to revoke the Premises Licence for Romino’s in Cardigan. This reflects the seriousness of the issues identified and the clear risks posed.”

The action follows earlier enforcement steps taken in March.

On March 5, immigration officers visited the premises and found two Turkish men allegedly working there illegally. A closure notice was issued at once, preventing access to the site and stopping any work from taking place.

The Home Office said that on three previous visits, a further six people had been found working illegally at the same business. Those responsible were handed fines totalling £135,000.

An illegal working compliance order was later granted at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on March 6. Such orders place strict conditions on a business, including requirements to carry out right-to-work checks and permit ongoing inspections.

Although the takeaway later reopened, the Home Office pressed ahead with its application for a licence review on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder.

A spokesperson said illegal working harms lawful businesses, drives down wages and can be linked to organised immigration crime.

Man to stand trial accused of rape in Tenby

A PEMBROKESHIRE man is due to stand trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of raping a woman in Tenby town centre.

Dean Gough, 48, of Orielton, Pembroke, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week charged with rape.

The court heard that Gough is accused of intentionally penetrating the woman’s vagina at a property in Tenby on December 7, 2022, without her consent and without reasonably believing that she was consenting.

During the hearing, Gough factually denied the allegation.

The case has now been sent to Swansea Crown Court, where trial proceedings are due to begin on May 15. Gough was released on unconditional bail.

Child cruelty offender given community order

A 27-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced after admitting two offences of child cruelty involving two young children.

Llanelli Magistrates’ Court heard that Liam Jacob pleaded guilty to two counts under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

The offences related to allegations that, on Dec 28, 2025, Jacob caused or

procured the children to be assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned or exposed in a way likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.

Jacob, of Carmarthen, entered indicated guilty pleas on March 24 and was sentenced on Tuesday (Apr 14).

The court imposed a community order running until April 13, 2027. As

part of that sentence, Jacob must complete up to 25 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. The court made a collection order for deductions from benefits, with the financial penalty to be paid within 28 days.

Dry dock pitched as home for giant £480m superyacht yard

Port says dock is being actively marketed as company unveils vast shed plan that could transform town skyline and create up to 3,000 jobs

A HUGE plan to turn Milford Haven’s dry dock into the heart of a £480 million superyacht construction and refit yard has been unveiled, in what could become one of the most dramatic development proposals ever put forward for the town.

Renderings released alongside the announcement show a colossal enclosed build hall covering the existing dry dock and dominating the waterfront skyline. Based on the images, the proposed structure appears likely to be nearly as long as some of the German submarine pens built on the French Atlantic coast during the war.

The scheme has been put forward by Superyacht Sales UK, which says it is in early-stage discussions with Milford Haven Port Authority over the possible use of the Port’s 180-metre dry dock as part of a long-term vision for a major new marine engineering hub in Pembrokeshire.

The company says the wider project could eventually support up to 3,000 skilled jobs and generate around £150 million a year in social value, while helping establish Milford Haven as a centre for superyacht refit, construction and green marine technology.

PORT’S RESPONSE CAUTIOUS

Despite the eye-catching scale of the proposal, the Port has given only a limited response.

In a statement to The Herald, a spokesperson for Milford Haven Port Authority said: “The dry dock is commercially available for rent and is being actively marketed. We have responded to various organisations that have shown an interest. We are unable to comment further due to commercial sensitivities.”

That response makes clear the dry dock is being marketed commercially and that Superyacht Sales UK is not the only organisation to have shown interest.

The release issued by Superyacht Sales UK says the company is also exploring the possible development of a custom new-build shipyard on the site of the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot on the edge of Milford Haven. However, it acknowledges that no contact has yet been made with the current landowners and that the entire proposal remains at concept and feasibility stage.

Kerry Ballard, founder of Superyacht Sales UK, described the plans as a longterm ambition and said discussions with the Port were exploratory.

She said: “This is a long-term vision, and we are at a very early stage. Our

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discussions with Milford Haven Port Authority are exploratory, focused on understanding what may be possible in respect of the existing dry dock facilities.

“Milford Haven presents a compelling opportunity. The combination of deepwater access, industrial heritage, and alignment with the Celtic Freeport strategy, particularly around hydrogen and green energy, creates a highly attractive proposition for a nextgeneration shipyard.”

She added that any development of this scale would need to be shaped in partnership with the local community, stakeholders and education providers.

QUESTIONS OvER SCALE

There is no doubt the vision is bold. If built in anything like the form shown in the released images, the structure would completely alter the appearance of the docks and create a huge new industrial landmark visible across much of the town.

Rather than sitting beside the dry dock, the proposed shed appears designed to swallow it almost whole, enclosing the dock within a giant shell intended for superyacht construction and refit work under cover.

The sheer scale of the concept is likely to prompt both excitement and scepticism locally.

Supporters will point to Milford Haven’s deep-water access, industrial heritage, marine infrastructure and long association with heavy engineering and energy industries. In theory, those strengths could make it a credible location for specialist shipyard activity if sufficient private investment and commercial demand existed.

The company says the international market for superyachts over 30 metres

is growing, with existing European yards facing capacity constraints. Its pitch is that West Wales could capture part of that market while also linking the development to future propulsion systems, including hybrid, batteryelectric and hydrogen-powered vessels.

The proposal also includes talk of partnerships with colleges and universities to create training pathways in advanced composites, precision engineering and sustainable marine technologies.

SPECULATIvE AT THIS STAGE

For Milford Haven, the attraction is obvious. A project on this scale would not just mean another industrial tenant taking over an existing dock facility. It would represent a major shift in ambition for the waterfront and could, if realised, bring a new type of high-value engineering work into Pembrokeshire.

BUT SERIOUS QUESTIONS REMAIN

No planning application has been submitted. No formal development agreement has been announced. The Port has not indicated support for any specific proposal. At this stage, there is no public evidence of secured funding for a project on anything like the scale being discussed.

There are also likely to be wider questions about land control, infrastructure demands, environmental considerations, traffic, visual impact and whether local people would genuinely benefit from the promised jobs and training.

For now, the proposal remains an ambitious vision rather than a confirmed development.

If the idea progresses, it could mark the start the biggest waterfront development discussions the town has seen in years.

Engineer spared jail after drugs and weapons haul

A 55-YEAR-OLD electrical engineer has admitted possessing a cocktail of illegal drugs, including cocaine, ketamine, crystal meth and LSD, along with 35 knives and three axes.

A search of Simon Wayt’s property, carried out after he told police officers he was a drug user, uncovered 2.326 grams of cocaine, 2.83 grams of crystal meth, an unspecified quantity of MDMA, 22 doses of LSD, five 2CB tablets, 21.9 grams of amphetamine, 8.32 grams of ketamine, 14.42 grams of cannabis resin, an undisclosed quantity of THC edibles, and five tablets of the psychedelic drug methallyscaline.

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Haverfordwest magistrates heard this week that Wayt was stopped by officers in Green Park, Pentlepoir, because of the manner of his driving.

A search of his vehicle uncovered nine throwing knives, 26 further knives and three axes. A further search of his home also revealed a shotgun cartridge, despite Wayt not holding a firearms certificate. The drugs were also found at the property.

Wayt, of Wentworth Crescent, Mayals, Swansea, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing an offensive weapon, one charge of possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate, and ten charges of possessing a controlled drug.

He was represented by solicitor Lucas Edwards, who said the drugs were for the defendant’s “recreational use”.

“He’s disappointed and ashamed to find himself before the courts, and these offences are definitely something which he will not repeat,” he said. “The drugs were for his own personal recreational use, but he’s not addicted to drugs in any way.”

Mr Edwards went on to describe Wayt as “an avid collector of bladed articles”.

“He’s been collecting them for 35 years, and normally keeps them in his office,” he said. “But he’d been working in Pembroke Dock for a period of time and brought the knives with him to sharpen and for camping purposes. But he shouldn’t have had them on his person or inside his vehicle.”

Mr Edwards said the shotgun cartridge was a memento dating back to the 1990s, when his father kept a small number of cartridges following a firearms amnesty.

The solicitor added that Wayt, a qualified mechanical and electrical engineer, is currently unemployed as a result of the offences.

After considering the facts, magistrates sentenced Wayt to four months in custody, suspended for 11 months. He was also ordered to complete ten rehabilitation activity requirement days to address his drug use.A forfeiture and destruction order was imposed on the bladed articles and the drugs. Wayt was also ordered to pay a £154 surcharge.

Austin Hockey asset hearing adjourned after Pembrokeshire drugs case

A HEARING involving jailed drug dealer Austin Hockey was adjourned at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Apr 13) as the court considered what assets may be available for recovery following his conviction in a Pembrokeshire drugs case.

The court heard that Hockey did not attend the hearing and had refused to come before the court.

Barristers said the defendant had no known assets apart from Tesla shares held through the Trading 212 investment platform. Counsel told the court that efforts were continuing to confirm both the exact value of the holding and the amount that could realistically be realised from it.

The judge was told enquiries had been made with Trading 212 in an effort to establish what figure should properly be relied upon for the purposes of the proceedings.

Because of the uncertainty over the true obtainable value of the shares, the judge granted permission for them to be sold so that a realisable figure could be confirmed.

The matter was then adjourned while further information is obtained.

Hockey, 32, of Acrebush Close, Bishopsworth, Bristol, previously appeared before Swansea Crown Court after admitting six drugrelated offences linked to dealing in

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Pembrokeshire. The court heard he had been in possession of MDMA, cannabis and 2C-B with intent to supply in west Wales on December 1, 2023, and had also admitted being concerned in the supply of the same drugs between August 1 and December 2, 2023.

Judge Huw Rees remanded him in custody for sentence after ordering a pre-sentence report.

He was later jailed for 3 years and 4 months after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A and B drugs, and possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs.

A sentencing summary states he was stopped by police on a roundabout outside Narberth, where officers found cannabis, MDMA tablets and 2C-B tablets, while phones seized in the case contained messages advertising drugs for sale.

The latest Crown Court hearing focused not on Hockey’s guilt or sentence, but on what assets may now be available for confiscation following the Pembrokeshire offences.

A punchier alternative headline is: Pembrokeshire drug dealer’s Tesla shares at centre of Swansea Crown Court hearing

First Minister faces the Herald: Withybush, schools, and farming under the spotlight

Eluned Morgan sat down in Milford Haven for a wide-ranging interview with The Herald as voters in Ceredigion Penfro prepare to decide who they trust on the NHS, education, rural Wales and the future of west Wales

IN a major pre-election interview with The Herald, First Minister Eluned Morgan defended Labour’s record in Wales while facing direct questioning on the future of Withybush Hospital, job shortages for newly qualified NHS staff, declining school standards, farming anger, rural school closures, youth violence and environmental failures. In a conversation lasting more than half an hour, she made a series of promises — but also stopped short of giving cast-iron guarantees on some of the issues causing greatest concern in Pembrokeshire.

MILFORD HAVEN became the stage for one of the most important political interviews of the Senedd election campaign this week, as First Minister Eluned Morgan sat down with The Herald to answer the questions many west Wales voters are asking.

With just weeks to go before polling day, the interview cut straight to the issues dominating life in Pembrokeshire and beyond: the future of Withybush Hospital, the state of the NHS, school discipline and standards, pressure on family farms, the fallout from youth violence, river pollution, housing delays and whether Labour, after decades in power in Wales, can still credibly promise change.

From the outset, the Herald challenged the First Minister on the central argument now being made by many disillusioned voters — that Labour has had long enough.

Morgan’s answer was clear: she insisted that Labour remains the only party with the experience to govern responsibly, and warned that opposition parties were making promises they could not afford to keep. But while she repeatedly defended her government’s record, she also conceded on at least one key point that standards in Welsh schools today are “not” good enough.

That exchange alone will resonate with many parents.

But it was the future of Withybush that dominated much of the interview.

Morgan rejected repeated warnings that the hospital is under threat, accusing political opponents of raising closure fears at every election. She said Withybush is not going to close and pointed to millions of pounds already spent on fire safety and concrete repairs. She also claimed there would be more same-day emergency care, more cancer care and more orthopaedic surgery at the site.

Yet when pressed on whether she could rule out any further downgrading of services, the answer was notably less firm. Morgan said such decisions

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ultimately sit with the health board rather than politicians, while arguing that some highly specialist services may need to be centralised if patients are to see the best surgeons available.

That answer is unlikely to settle nerves in Pembrokeshire, where concern over the long-term future of local hospital services remains deeply rooted.

The Herald also put to the First Minister an increasingly difficult contradiction for Welsh Labour: how can ministers talk about recruitment shortages in the NHS while newly qualified nurses, paramedics and midwives are being told there may be no jobs for them in Wales?

Morgan said NHS staffing had increased by 12 per cent in five years and argued that the current situation reflected a mismatch between recruitment, retirements and specialist vacancies. She said she was confident the problem would “shake out”, but for many students and graduates facing uncertainty right now, that may sound more like hope than a plan.

The pressure did not ease when the discussion turned to waiting times. The Herald raised the example of a 10-and-a-half-hour wait in A&E at Withybush, with not enough seats and people reportedly sitting on the floor. Morgan argued Wales had been slower to recover after the pandemic because it had taken a more cautious approach, but said long waits were coming down and promised improved access to

primary care and same-day mental health support if Labour is returned to office.

On dentistry, she acknowledged the depth of the problem. Asked about a woman who had waited three years for NHS dental treatment and was then offered a dentist in Carmarthen, Morgan admitted many dentists had left the public sector for more lucrative private work. Her answer was to point to contract changes and plans for a new dental school in Wales, with hopes that more rural trainees could eventually be kept in west Wales.

Education brought one of the interview’s clearest moments. Asked directly whether Welsh schools are good enough today, Morgan answered with a blunt “no”.

She said the pandemic had damaged attendance, resilience and behaviour, and argued that Labour had responded with free school meals, uniform support and more mental health help in schools. But the admission itself was striking, especially when set against Labour’s long period in office.

The Herald then turned the conversation to west Wales specifically, including concern over standards in Pembrokeshire and the shocking recent incident at Milford Haven School in which a teacher was stabbed. Morgan described that incident as “utterly unacceptable” and said behaviour must improve, while also pointing to investment in school buildings and plans for a new school for Milford Haven.

On rural schools, however, her response was less interventionist. Asked whether she accepted that the closure of a rural school weakens the whole community, Morgan acknowledged their importance but said such decisions must ultimately be made by local councils.

The interview also tackled a subject that has become impossible to ignore in west Wales: youth violence. In the wake of the Tenby stabbings, Morgan said what had happened was “utterly unacceptable” and argued that visible policing and stronger youth support were needed. But when asked plainly whether youth services in west Wales are strong enough right now, she did not give a straightforward yes. Instead, she said some areas were doing well while others needed strengthening.

Farming was another major flashpoint.

The Herald put to the First Minister the anger and anxiety felt by many family farmers over the Sustainable Farming Scheme, and the widespread belief that Welsh Labour has made rural communities feel attacked rather

than supported. Morgan rejected that view, saying farmers are receiving more support than ever from the Welsh Government, with hundreds of millions of pounds going into the sector.

But she also insisted that public money must come with public benefit, arguing that farming support must help tackle climate change and environmental damage as well as food production.

Her most politically charged remarks came when she linked current farming pain to Brexit, saying many farmers had voted for promises that had not been kept and were now paying the price. That argument may appeal to Labour supporters, but it is unlikely to calm resentment in a sector that often feels talked at rather than listened to.

The spread of the new enlarged Senedd and the redrawing of the electoral map also featured in the interview. Morgan argued that having more Senedd members was necessary if Welsh democracy was to function properly, despite public frustration over the cost. She also sought to turn geography into an advantage, telling voters that having a First Minister who lives in west Wales means the region has a direct voice “at the top table”.

That was part of a wider effort to present herself as a leader still in middelivery rather than a tired incumbent. Morgan repeatedly stressed that she has only been First Minister for around 18 months and pointed to social housing, women’s health hubs, free school meals and reduced waiting lists as evidence she is already delivering change.

For Pembrokeshire readers, though, the most significant parts of the interview may have been her commitments on local healthcare, transport, jobs and infrastructure.

Morgan spoke of the potential for a new west Wales hospital, better primary care access, a proper transport plan for every health board and the long-term economic opportunity of green energy and Freeport-linked investment. She also backed major infrastructure to unlock those opportunities, including pylons, while acknowledging that communities affected by them should be compensated.

That position sets up a clear dividing line in west Wales politics: economic development versus landscape concerns, urgency versus caution.

The discussion ended where it began — at Withybush.

Asked one final time whether she could rule out further downgrading, Morgan again declined to offer a simple guarantee. Instead, she returned to the language of planning, health board responsibility and the need for safe transport to specialist care.

For readers in Pembrokeshire, that may be the clearest takeaway of all.

The First Minister came to Milford Haven with firm talking points, some big promises and a strong defence of Labour’s record. But under questioning from The Herald, she also made important admissions, particularly on

school standards, and left some of the biggest local fears only partly answered.

As the election nears, voters will decide whether that is enough.

FIvE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE HERALD INTERvIEW

Withybush remains the number one concern

Morgan insisted the hospital is not closing and said more services are coming, but stopped short of ruling out all future downgrading.

A blunt admission on schools

Asked if Welsh schools are good enough today, the First Minister said no.

NHS jobs contradiction exposed

The Herald challenged Labour on shortages in the NHS while newly qualified staff face uncertainty over jobs.

Farmers offered money — but not comfort

Morgan said farmers are receiving more support than ever, but defended environmental conditions and blamed Brexit for much of the pressure.

Labour’s pitch is experience over risk

Morgan’s core argument was that Labour may be imperfect, but the alternatives are promising what they cannot deliver.

PROMISES MADE IN MILFORD HAvEN

• Withybush Hospital will stay open

• More same-day emergency care, cancer care and orthopaedic support at Withybush

• A long-term ambition for a new

west Wales hospital

• Access to a primary care professional within 48 hours for urgent cases

• Same-day mental health

support under Labour’s plans

• Continued pursuit of major green energy and infrastructure investment in west Wales

Parties urged to put children first ahead of Senedd election

MORE than 170 paediatricians and child health advocates have called on Welsh political parties to make the health and wellbeing of babies, children and young people a national priority ahead of the Senedd election.

The intervention comes in an open letter published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which is urging parties to place children’s health at the centre of decision-making in the next Welsh Government.

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The group says the appeal is driven by growing concern over child poverty, long NHS waits and avoidable ill health among children in Wales.

Official Welsh Government figures published last month showed that 32 per cent of children in Wales were living in relative income poverty in the latest reporting period. While ministers have cautioned against reading too

much into short-term changes because of the way the data is collected, the overall rate remains high.

The letter also points to continuing pressure on health services. National waiting times data for January 2026 showed there were 53,291 open pathways for children’s treatment in Wales, with 6,430 of those waiting more than a year.

Doctors warn that delays to diagnosis and treatment in childhood can mean missed opportunities for

early intervention and, in some cases, lasting harm.

However, the wider picture is not entirely one-way. Recent dental health data showed some improvement, with the proportion of children affected by tooth decay lower than in the previous survey, although inequalities remain significant and children in poorer communities continue to face worse outcomes.

RCPCH Wales members say the election presents a key opportunity for parties to set out how they would improve child health, reduce inequalities and ensure faster access to care.

Dr Dana Beasley and Dr Lizzy Nickerson, RCPCH co-officers for Wales, said: “Every day we see the concerning impact of high levels of poverty and overstretched services on children and families across Wales. It’s extremely clear that more needs to be done; the status quo is not good enough.

“That is why 170 members from across the child health community have signed our open letter, urgently calling on whoever forms the next Welsh Government to place the health and wellbeing of all babies, children and young people at the heart of their priorities for Wales.”

Emergency response after person enters water at marina

A MAJOR emergency response was launched at Milford Marina in Milford Haven on Sunday (Apr 12) after a person was reported to have entered the water.

Police, ambulance crews, HM Coastguard and lifeboat teams were called to the scene at Milford Docks shortly after 1:00pm.

The casualty was recovered from the water by emergency services. However, at the time of publication, their condition has not been confirmed.

Eyewitnesses described a significant multi-agency presence, with crews working together in a coordinated rescue operation.

The Herald understands that the incident prompted a rapid response from all emergency services in the area.

No further details have yet been released regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Tesco shopper fined after abusing and shoving security guard

A MAN has been banned from Tesco in Pembroke Dock after hurling abuse at a female security guard and shoving her in the chest, magistrates have heard.

Alexander Clark, 49, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where CCTV footage of the incident on February 5 was shown.

Prosecutor Linda Baker said Clark strode up to the security guard, poked her in the chest and nudged her with his left shoulder.

“He also began shouting at her, calling her a stupid c***,” she told the court.

“He said, ‘Your dad’s a rapist and you know what we do to them? We kill them.’”

In mitigation, Clark’s solicitor, Alaw Harries, said the defendant did not know the security guard and described the assault as being at the

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lower end of the scale.

“The CCTV footage demonstrates this was a very low-level assault and no injuries were caused to the complainant,” she said.

“It was a poke and a shove and the force used was very limited.

“But the defendant is extremely sorry for his behaviour that day.”

The court heard that Clark, who is of no fixed abode, has since been banned from the Tesco store as a result of the incident.

Clark pleaded guilty to assaulting the security guard by beating and to using threatening and abusive words and behaviour.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £50 compensation to the security guard, £85 in court costs and a £48

surcharge.

Sentencing him, the presiding magistrate said: “What you said to that lady was completely inappropriate,

particularly when she was at work doing her job.

“Don’t do it again.”

Haverfordwest County AFC escapes winding-up order

Club avoided liquidation in case remained live until it came before a judge at the High Court in London

A WINDING-UP petition brought by HM Revenue & Customs against Haverfordwest County AFC Ltd reached the High Court in London before being dismissed on Wednesday (Apr 15).

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The case was heard at 12:00pm at the Rolls Building. Court officials later confirmed to

The Herald that the petition had been dismissed, with the company ordered to pay costs.

While the dismissal means the club has avoided compulsory liquidation, the fact that the matter progressed to a High Court hearing – and resulted in a costs order against the company – underlines the seriousness of the proceedings.

Before the hearing, the club had repeatedly sought to downplay the issue. Last week, chairman Rob Edwards described the petition as

“a non-story”, stating it related to “a VAT offset against PAYE that wasn’t recorded”. He insisted the matter had been rectified, that no debt was owed to HMRC, and that a request to withdraw the petition had already been submitted to the court.

The club subsequently issued a statement claiming there was “no debt owed to HMRC” and that the petition “has been withdrawn by HMRC”.

However, HM Courts & Tribunals Service twice confirmed to The Herald prior to the hearing that the petition remained active and listed for 12:00pm on 15 April. The case remained listed until it came before the judge on Wednesday.

The imposition of a costs order is particularly notable.

It represents a formal court direction requiring Haverfordwest County AFC Ltd to meet the legal costs arising from the petition.

Thankfully, Haverfordwest County AFC has avoided the most severe outcome – a winding-up order that would have threatened the club’s future.

However, the High Court proceedings make clear that this was never a dormant or inconsequential entry on the court list. It was a live HMRC petition that required judicial attention at the Rolls Building and has now left the company with legal expenses to pay.

Iran war drink-driving excuse

A PEMBROKE DOCK man who was more than twice the legal drinkdrive limit blamed his actions on mounting fears over the situation in the Middle East, a court has heard.

Mykhaylo Omelchuk, 41, was stopped by police shortly before 11:00pm on March 29 after a member of the public reported concerns about his manner of driving.

Officers found him driving a Vauxhall Astra near his home in Front Street, Pembroke Dock. After he gave a positive roadside breath test, he was taken to the police station where a further test showed he had 83 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that Omelchuk’s solicitor, Michael Kelleher, said the defendant had been under significant strain because his wife is currently living and working in Qatar.

“It’s hardly surprising that, given what’s happening in the Middle East, Mr Omelchuk is extremely stressed,” he told the court.

“On this occasion, he allowed the stress to get to him and this led to him drinking and driving.”

The court was told that Omelchuk has one previous drink-driving conviction, imposed in October 2023.

Mr Kelleher said his client “deeply regrets” his actions and submitted a number of references for the magistrates to consider before passing sentence.

“The references show a very different person to the person who is appearing in court today,” he said.

After the mitigation was completed, Omelchuk asked if he could address the magistrates personally from the dock.

“I deeply regret my actions and I’m taking steps to ensure that this will never happen again,” he said.

Omelchuk pleaded guilty to the charge of drink-driving.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 20 months. He was also fined £480 and ordered to pay a £192 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

Drug and weapon charges

A MAN has been remanded in custody after appearing at Swansea Crown Court charged with drug, weapon and driving offences following an arrest in Pembroke Dock.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers from Pembrokeshire Roads Policing and response teams searched a vehicle on Diamond Street on Saturday (Apr 4).

Following the search, Zamurd Hussain, 43, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Hussain was later charged with possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, and driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

He appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Apr 6), where he was remanded in custody.

His next court appearance is due to take place at Swansea Crown Court at 9:00am on May 8.

Banned for cocaine in system

A MILFORD HAvEN motorist has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Ben Conroy, 22, of Picton Road, Hakin, Milford Haven, was stopped by police at around 5:00pm on December 12 following a moving traffic offence on Steynton Road.

A roadside drugs wipe tested positive for cocaine. Further blood analysis later showed he had 240 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine and 24 microgrammes of cocaine in his system. The legal limits are 50 and 10 respectively.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that Conroy had just collected his Ford Focus following an MOT and was driving to a friend’s house when he was stopped.

After he pleaded guilty to two charges

Man guilty of breaching restraining order over online reference to woman

A MAN from Broad Haven has been convicted of breaching a restraining order after making an online reference to a woman he had been banned from mentioning.

Thomas Jones, aged 35, of Croft Road, Broad Haven, appeared for trial before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Apr 16).

The court heard that on February 28, 2026, Jones entered data on the internet which referred, by necessary inference to the female. He had been prohibited from doing so under a restraining order

imposed by Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on May 6, 2025.

Jones denied the allegation when the case was heard, but magistrates found him guilty following trial.

The bench, made up of Mrs H Lewis, Mr A Allison and Mr D England, fined Jones £300.

He was also ordered to pay £650 in prosecution costs.

A victim personal statement from the woman was read to the court by the prosecutor.

of drug-driving, his solicitor, Alaw Harries, said the drugs had been taken several days earlier during a friend’s celebration.

“He’d taken the drugs several days previously at a friend’s celebration and didn’t realise they would still be in his system,” she said.

“This has been a genuine learning curve for the defendant and he is determined not to come before the courts again.”

Conroy was disqualified from driving for 17 months.

Magistrates also imposed a 12-month community order, during which he must complete a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and ten rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

by/gan Dylan Thomas

Kate Wasserberg

MP says Access to Work delays are becoming barrier to employment

BRECON, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick has criticised serious delays in the Government’s Access to Work scheme, warning that it is becoming a barrier to employment for disabled people rather than a route into work.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate, the Welsh Liberal Democrat MP said the scheme, which is designed to help disabled people remain in or return to employment, is no longer delivering the support people need when they need it.

Access to Work provides assistance such as specialist equipment, support workers and workplace adaptations, and currently supports more than 74,000 disabled people. It has been widely regarded as good value for money, with studies suggesting it generates £1.48 for every £1 spent.

But demand for the scheme has risen sharply, with waiting lists now standing at around 66,000 people. Applicants are reportedly facing delays of up to 37 weeks for decisions, while some selfemployed people have been left waiting for more than a year.

Mr Chadwick, who has previously spoken publicly about being paralysed by Guillain-Barré syndrome, told MPs that he understood first-hand how important practical support can be in helping someone regain their independence and return to work.

He said the current problems with the scheme were having serious realworld consequences, with some people forced to turn down job offers, others struggling to stay in work, and small businesses left uncertain over whether support would be approved.

Concerns were also raised during the debate over the way the scheme operates in practice. These included reports of applicants being made to reapply from scratch even when their circumstances had not changed,

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

lengthy reconsideration processes, and difficulties getting hold of caseworkers.

The debate also heard concerns that applicants in Wales could be unfairly affected by funding decisions, with lower average wages potentially being used to justify lower levels of support.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to cut waiting times, clear the backlog and restore confidence in the scheme.

David Chadwick said: “When I was paralysed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, I know first-hand how frightening it is to wonder if you will ever be able to work again. For many disabled people today, that fear is being made worse by a system that is supposed to support them.

“Access to Work should be a gateway into employment, but right now it is becoming a barrier. People who are ready and willing to work are being let down by delays, bureaucracy and a lack of clarity.

“The consequences are serious. People are losing job opportunities, businesses are losing talented staff, and more individuals are being pushed out of the workforce altogether.

“We should be strengthening this scheme, not allowing it to fall behind. That means urgently tackling the backlog, speeding up decisions and making sure support reflects the real cost of what people need.

“If the Government is serious about getting more disabled people into work, it must fix Access to Work and make it fit for purpose again.”

If you want, I can also turn this into a more balanced Herald version with a DWP response line added and a bit more background.

Labour rift erupts over DARC

A LABOUR split over the proposed DARC radar project at Brawdy burst into the open this week after campaigners accused Eluned Morgan of offering a panicked halfmeasure instead of the outright opposition many in Pembrokeshire now want.

The First Minister’s call for the UK Government to pause the controversial Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability scheme has been seized on by opponents as proof that political pressure is mounting fast ahead of the Senedd election.

But PARC Against DARC, the campaign group leading resistance to the project, said Morgan’s intervention does not go nearly far enough and warned that a pause is not a rejection.

The group says local people have spent months raising the alarm over the scale, purpose and consequences of the proposed development at Cawdor Barracks, only to be met with silence, spin and shifting positions from Labour politicians.

A spokesperson for PARC said: “We welcome any movement away from support for DARC, but this does not go far enough. Calling only for a pause leaves the door open for another U-turn in future. The people of Pembrokeshire deserve clarity and a firm commitment that this project will not go ahead.”

The campaign said Morgan’s remarks appeared to be a direct response to rising public anger and growing electoral danger for Labour in west Wales.

After months in which campaigners said their warnings were brushed aside, the First Minister’s sudden intervention has been interpreted by opponents as evidence that DARC is now becoming a serious political liability.

PARC said the row had also exposed a deep divide inside Labour, with Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell continuing to defend the scheme by pointing to jobs and economic benefit.

Campaigners rounded on those claims, saying supporters of the project have repeatedly tried to sell DARC to the public on promises that do not

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

withstand scrutiny.

A spokesperson said: “It is unbelievable how out of touch Henry Tufnell is on this issue. The suggestion that DARC would deliver major benefits for local jobs simply does not stand up to scrutiny.”

The campaign argues that what is being presented as opportunity could in reality leave Pembrokeshire carrying the burden of a deeply controversial military installation while seeing little genuine local gain in return.

It also says the way the scheme has been handled has further poisoned trust, with many residents feeling they were never properly informed, properly listened to, or treated with the respect they deserved.

The spokesperson added: “Local people feel they have been treated with contempt. Concerns have been raised again and again, yet campaigners say the consultation process was poorly communicated and deeply flawed. That has only hardened opposition.”

For opponents, DARC is no longer just a planning dispute. It has become a symbol of something much bigger — a project they say has been driven from above, wrapped in vague promises, and pushed forward without honest regard for the people expected to live in its shadow.

PARC says the case against the radar scheme now reaches far beyond politics, taking in the threat to Pembrokeshire’s landscape, damage to the area’s image, fears over wider military escalation and growing anger at the conduct of the consultation process.

The group also pointed to longstanding opposition from Plaid Cymru and the Wales Green Party, arguing that support for stopping DARC altogether is now far stronger and more politically significant than Labour had anticipated.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “This is nothing but a last-ditch attempt by Eluned Morgan to cling on to her seat.

“Plaid Cymru has consistently opposed DARC alongside local

communities and has repeatedly called on the UK Government to change course.”

Campaigners say the issue has now reached a decisive moment. They insist Pembrokeshire is being asked to shoulder the risks of a project many residents neither want nor trust, and argue that anything short of a firm commitment to kill it off completely will

be seen as betrayal.

A spokesperson said: “DARC must be stopped. It is as simple as that. We urge voters who oppose the scheme to back parties committed to blocking it.”

For Labour, the danger is clear. What was once treated as a defence project is fast becoming a political grenade — and in Pembrokeshire, it may yet explode at the ballot box.

Greenacres warns it may have to shut doors to new animals

GREENACRES RESCUE has warned it may be forced to shut its doors to new animals unless it can raise more than £24,000 in just 20 days to clear a huge vet bill.

The Pembrokeshire-based rescue says it is facing its toughest month yet, with a March bill of £24,113.92 and a growing number of sick, injured and abandoned animals needing urgent treatment.

In a stark public appeal, Mikey Lawlor said the sanctuary is at breaking point and may soon be left with no choice but to turn away dogs and other animals in desperate need.

He said: “I am the one that will have to say no to dogs sat on death row.”

Greenacres said it will continue to honour commitments already made to animals in its care, but warned that failing to clear the bill could force it to stop taking in new emergency cases.

The charity said that could have devastating consequences, with some animals potentially dying before they ever get the chance of rescue, while others face far longer waits for urgent

help.

So far this year, the rescue says it has already raised and paid off £43,404, but described the latest demand as its most severe financial crisis yet.

Among the major cases driving the cost are Ruby, who needs a leg amputation, Clio and Spot, who both require major dental work, Dixie, who underwent specialist orthopaedic surgery to save her leg, Freddie, who needed an eye removed, Ozzie the Chihuahua, who is being treated for hydrocephalus, and Biscuit, a cat needing leg amputation.

The rescue said the strain has been fuelled by the continuing fallout from excessive breeding during the Covid lockdown period, rising abandonment, and the increasing number of animals arriving with serious medical needs.

Greenacres also stressed that routine care such as neutering, vaccinations, microchipping and parasite treatment remains essential and unavoidable.

In the appeal, Lawlor thanked supporters and praised the rescue’s

vets, saying the bill reflects the sheer volume of urgent cases rather than excessive charging.

The charity is now urging the public to donate or share its appeal, warning that clearing the March bill is vital if it is to remain able to respond to the next emergency call.

Ways to donate to Greenacres

Rescue

PayPal: paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/

charity/129520

Website: https://donorbox.org/ pennies-for-lives

Or pay directly towards our vet bill Fenton Vets, Haverfordwest –01437 762806 (option 2) Or via bank transferGreenacres Rescue: HSBC – A/C 01580299 – Sort code 40-23-21Cheque: Greenacres Rescue, Ebbs Acres Farm, Talbenny, Haverfordwest, SA62 3XA

Sentenced after admitting possession of pepper spray and knuckleduster

A 41-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced after admitting possessing a knuckleduster and indicating a guilty plea to possessing pepper spray.

Llanelli Magistrates’ Court heard that Oliver Lycett, of Bridge Street, Penygroes, was before the court on Tuesday (Apr 14) in connection with the two weapons offences.

The first charge stated that on Oct 18, 2025, Lycett possessed a knuckleduster in a private place, contrary to the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

He also faced a second charge of possessing pepper spray without the authority of the Secretary of State, an offence under the Firearms Act 1968.

The court record shows Lycett

entered a guilty plea to the knuckleduster offence and an indicated guilty plea to the pepper spray offence.

District Judge M Layton imposed a community order running until Apr 13, 2027.

As part of the sentence, Lycett must complete up to 10 days of rehabilitation activity.

The court also ordered the deprivation of both weapons, meaning the knuckleduster and the pepper spray are to be forfeited.Lycett was fined £120. He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge.A collection order was made, with deductions from benefits and the financial penalty to be paid in full within 28 days.

Welsh Lib Dems promise childcare boost, social care reform in manifesto launch

Jane Dodds says party will focus on NHS pressures, child poverty and keeping Wales out of independence debate

JANE DODDS launched the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ 2026 Senedd manifesto on Tuesday (Apr 14), unveiling a platform built around childcare, social care, health reform, economic growth and opposition to Welsh independence.

The manifesto, titled A Stronger Wales in a Stronger UK, argues that Wales is at a political crossroads, with the party seeking to present itself as a practical alternative focused on public services and living standards rather than what it describes as constitutional distraction and political anger.

In her launch speech, Dodds said many people across Wales now feel furious, ignored and increasingly doubtful that meaningful change is even possible. She warned that nationalism grows when hope fades, and argued that political debate must return to fixing everyday problems rather than simply finding new people to blame.

A major centrepiece of the manifesto is childcare. The Welsh Lib Dems say they would offer free, high-quality childcare for children from nine months old, providing 30 hours a week for 48 weeks a year. The party says the move would improve children’s life chances, help parents return to work and make a serious impact on child poverty.

Dodds also used the launch to push her long-standing focus on early years support, pointing to the first thousand days of a child’s life as crucial in shaping future outcomes. The manifesto builds on that message with a wider pledge to give every child what it describes as a fair start.

The party is also proposing a School Leavers’ Guarantee aimed at preventing young people from drifting after leaving education. Under the plan, every school leaver would receive an offer within three months of further or higher education, a paid apprenticeship, a job with recognised training, or tailored support into work.

On universities, the Welsh Lib Dems say they would protect what they describe as the most generous student finance system in the UK. They

delays and growing pressure on council budgets.

jobs and supply chains.

The manifesto also includes support for small and medium-sized businesses, investment in apprenticeships and technical skills, and a £400 million town centres fund intended to help revive struggling high streets. Business rates relief for retail, leisure and hospitality would also be extended under the plans.

On the cost of living, the party says it wants to make homes warmer and cheaper to run through a ten-year programme of insulation and energyefficiency upgrades. It is also calling for the UK Government to explore zonal electricity pricing, including the possibility of a separate Welsh zone, so that households and businesses in energyproducing parts of Wales could benefit from lower bills.

are also promising continued support for Taith and backing for renewed access to Erasmus-style international opportunities, arguing that Welsh students should be able to study, volunteer and work abroad.

Health and social care form another major strand of the manifesto. The party says it would invest in up to 5,000 new or refurbished nursing-care placements to help reduce delayed hospital discharges and relieve pressure on the NHS. It also promises action to improve access to GPs, dentists and cancer treatment, alongside a broader workforce strategy for health and care staff.

Dodds placed particular emphasis on social care during her speech, drawing on her own experience of caring for parents with dementia and Alzheimer’s. She said the care system had been fragmented and overstretched for years, and argued that its failure now reaches far beyond individual families, contributing to hospital bed shortages, ambulance

The manifesto includes a proposal to support the creation of a Royal College of Care Workers, aimed at improving professional recognition, career progression and standards within the sector. It also commits to giving families faster support when relatives are discharged from hospital and to strengthening support for unpaid carers.

In one of its more eye-catching pledges, the party says it would consider raising the Welsh rate of income tax by 1p in the pound for an emergency period if funding reform does not come from Westminster and if the money is needed to protect social care. Dodds said the public should be dealt with honestly about the cost of repairing essential services.

Economically, the Welsh Lib Dems are pitching a Welsh Industrial Strategy designed to build on sectors where Wales already has strengths, including highvalue manufacturing, creative industries, financial technology and cyber. The party says this would be paired with procurement changes aimed at ensuring more public money supports Welsh firms,

The manifesto also contains strong environmental pledges, including action on sewage discharges, protections for rivers and seas, and support for renewable energy such as floating offshore wind, hydro and tidal power. In housing, it promises 30,000 social homes and measures to tackle homelessness and poor-quality housing.

On constitutional matters, the party adopts a firm anti-independence line, saying Welsh Government money should not be used to pursue separation from the rest of the UK. At the same time, it calls for further devolution in areas including rail, policing and justice, as well as a stronger Welsh voice within a federal UK.

Dodds used the closing section of her speech to argue that the election would not simply be about which party came first, but about who holds influence in what is expected to be a fragmented Senedd. She said the Welsh Liberal Democrats intended to use any balance-of-power role to push for practical reforms in health, childcare, education and the economy. With the Senedd election set for Thursday, May 7, the manifesto launch marks the party’s attempt to present itself as a voice for voters who are frustrated with the state of public services but wary of both Welsh nationalism and the rise of Reform UK.

Criminal damage investigation after vehicle damaged in Pembroke

POLICE are investigating a report of criminal damage to a vehicle in Pembroke.

The damage is believed to have occurred on South Road sometime between Wednesday, March 11 and Sunday, March 15, 2026.

Officers are appealing for anyone

who may have seen anything suspicious, or who has information that could assist the investigation, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by email at 101@dyfed-powys.police. uk, or by calling 101, quoting reference number 26000209990.

Election Poll points to historic Welsh Labour slump

Plaid Cymru projected to emerge as largest party, with Reform UK close behind as Labour risks falling to third place

A MAJOR new opinion poll has sent fresh tremors through Welsh politics, suggesting Welsh Labour could lose its grip on Cardiff Bay for the first time since devolution began in 199 9.

The survey, carried out by JL Partners for The Telegraph, projects Plaid Cymru as the largest party in the next Senedd, with Reform UK in second and Labour pushed into third. According to the poll, Plaid is on 28.8% of the vote and projected to win 33 seats, Reform UK is on 24.8% and 29 seats, while Labour trails on 15.9% and 17 seats.

If that result were repeated on polling day, it would mark one of the biggest political upheavals in modern Welsh political history. Labour has led every Welsh administration since the Assembly was created in 1999, but this poll suggests that dominance may now be under serious threat.

The election on May 7 will itself be a landmark one. For the first time, the Senedd will have 96 members rather than 60, with Wales divided into 16 larger constituencies, each electing six Members of the Senedd under the new proportional closed-list system. Voters will cast a single vote for a party or independent candidate, replacing the previous system.

Under the JL Partners projection, Labour is forecast to lead in only one of the new super-constituencies: Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd. Elsewhere, the battle for first place is expected to be dominated by Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

For west Wales, that will be watched especially closely. Pembrokeshire is now split between the new Preseli Sir Benfro and Ceredigion Penfro constituencies, meaning local voters will be part of two much larger electoral contests than before. Under the reformed system, party performance across a wider area will carry much greater weight.

The projected national vote shares in the poll are:

• Plaid Cymru: 28.8%

• Reform UK: 24.8%

• Labour: 15.9%

• Conservatives: 12.3%

• Greens: 9.2%

• Liberal Democrats: 5.6%

• Others: 3.5%

The findings broadly follow the direction of another recent MRP poll, which also placed Plaid Cymru in first place, Reform UK second and Labour third, although with different seat estimates. Taken together, the polling suggests a growing appetite for change among Welsh voters.

Even so, the picture remains fluid. With no party anywhere near

the 49 seats needed for a majority in the new 96-member Senedd, any administration formed after May 7 is likely to depend on coalition talks or some form of agreement between parties.

James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, described the Welsh findings as potentially seismic, warning they would represent a political earthquake if borne out on election day.

For Pembrokeshire voters, the implications are significant. The coming weeks are likely to see fierce debate over farming, rural transport, NHS waiting times, the 20mph policy, energy costs, education and the valuefor-money argument surrounding the larger Senedd. Those issues are already shaping campaign messages across west Wales.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has presented his party as ready to lead the next Welsh Government, while Labour under First Minister Eluned Morgan faces what may be its most difficult Senedd campaign in a generation. Reform UK, meanwhile, is seeking to turn growing discontent with the political establishment into a major breakthrough.

Polls are snapshots rather than forecasts, and much can still change before voters go to the ballot box. But with the campaign entering its closing weeks, this latest survey suggests Wales may be heading towards the most dramatic Senedd election since devolution began.

Family safe after major house fire in Letterston

A FAMILY escaped without injury after a major house fire in the Station Road area of Letterston, according to local residents.

The blaze prompted a major emergency response on Wednesday (Apr 15), with fire engines seen at the scene and the road closed while crews tackled the incident.

People posting in the Letterston community group said the family was safe, although one kitten was sadly lost in the fire.

One resident wrote: “They lost a kitten, but the family were ok. Nothing worse than a fire. There were 4 fire engines here at one time.”

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

Others described hearing multiple sirens and seeing smoke rising from the area, with one local woman saying her partner could see the fire engines from nearby fields.

As news of the fire spread, the local community quickly rallied round.

The memorial hall was opened for anyone affected, while residents offered practical help and support to the family.

Messages posted online described the loss of the home as heartbreaking, with one resident writing that while the house had gone, the family were “alive and well to make more new memories”.

The Herald has approached the emergency services for official confirmation on the cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage.

Woman who called for help spared jail over blade offence

A HAVERFORDWEST woman who contacted emergency services while in severe mental distress has been sentenced after admitting possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Danni Sandow, 22, of Three Meadows, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week following an incident on March 28.

Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told the court that police were contacted by Withybush Hospital after Sandow told the Crisis team she was intending to go to the railway line.

“Extensive searches were carried out, but police then received a call from the woman saying she was on the road bridge at Clay Lane in Haverfordwest, and was carrying razor blades,” she said.

“The woman is known to carry multiple blades in her purse. Multiple attempts were made by the officers to convince the woman to return to the hospital but she failed to agree and was subsequently arrested.”

Sandow pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place.

Her solicitor, Tom Lloyd, told

Sarah Jane Absalom sarah.jane.absalom@herald.email

magistrates that the blades were being carried solely for the purpose of self-harm and not to threaten anyone else.

“This is a woman who had those blades on her with the sole purpose of causing harm to herself,” he said.

“She called the police because she needed their support and when she refused to return to the hospital, she was arrested.

“On previous occasions, the officers didn’t pursue the matter, but on March 28 the defendant was particularly unwell.

“This is a troubled young woman who found herself in a very bad psychological frame of mind. She contacted the police so that they could assist her and wasn’t inflicting harm on anyone else.”

Mr Lloyd added that Sandow has recently received a significant mental health diagnosis and is now receiving medical and psychological support.

Magistrates sentenced her to a 24-month community order to allow her treatment to continue. She was also ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

Barry Scott retires from Fishguard RNLI after years of service

A DEDICATED Fishguard RNLI volunteer has retired after years of service helping to keep the station ready for emergencies at sea.

Barry Scott stepped down from his role as Launch Authority after celebrating his birthday earlier this year and reaching the retirement age for the position.

During an eight-and-a-half-year voluntary career with Fishguard RNLI, Barry oversaw 44 shouts and played a key role in the station’s operational life.

He joined the station with a wealth of maritime and rescue experience, having spent 16 years as a Deck Officer in the Merchant Navy, followed by 25 years with HM Coastguard.

As one of the station’s volunteer Launch Authorities, Barry worked on a rota providing a 24-hour link between the lifeboat station and HM Coastguard at the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Milford Haven.

When a lifeboat was requested, the on-duty Launch Authority would be paged by the Coastguard and contacted by phone with details of the incident. They would then decide whether to authorise the use of the charity’s assets, unless there was an

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr rieve.nesbitt-marr@herald.email

immediate risk to life, in which case the full crew would be paged at once.

Once details of a shout were confirmed, the Launch Authority would brief either the coxswain of the all-weather lifeboat or the helm of the inshore lifeboat. They would also keep an accurate record of which crew members went to sea and which responded to the pager.

During a shout, the Launch Authority would often remain at the station, recording useful information from radio transmissions. After the lifeboats returned safely and the crew came ashore, they would consult the boat officers and crew to complete the records before submitting a formal report to RNLI Headquarters in Poole.

Asked about the standout moments of his time with Fishguard RNLI, Barry said: “The camaraderie and working with volunteers who want to achieve the best outcomes.”

He added, with a smile: “And of course the cake.”

Reflecting on his years with the charity, Barry said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with individuals from all walks of life who are willing

to drop everything at any time, day or night, to help others in difficulty in all weather conditions, and still be able to maintain a sense of humour in potentially difficult situations.”

The team at Fishguard RNLI thanked Barry for his service and wished him a happy retirement, with

the hope that he will now be able to enjoy full nights of sleep without the pager going off.

Fishguard RNLI is currently recruiting more Launch Authorities. Anyone living close to their local station and interested in volunteering as part of a lifesaving team is encouraged to get in touch.

Eluned Morgan vows childcare expansion

First Minister says Welsh Labour’s £100m plan will widen access, ease pressure on parents and avoid the problems seen elsewhere

FIRST MINISTER Eluned Morgan used a visit to a playgroup in Colwyn Bay on Wednesday (Apr 16) to promote Welsh Labour’s pledge to expand childcare in Wales, saying the plan would help working families, support child development and remain within the Welsh Government’s budget.

The Welsh Labour leader said childcare was central to the party’s offer ahead of the Senedd election, with ministers promising a phased £100 million expansion over the next Senedd term.

Under the proposal, funded childcare would be extended to babies from the age of nine months.

Welsh Labour says the plan would create 20,000 new funded childcare places across Wales.

At present, the Welsh Government provides up to 30 hours of funded childcare for three and four-yearolds for 48 weeks of the year. Labour says its new approach would widen support while making sure the system remains deliverable.

The party says the expansion would be introduced in phases to ensure that staff, settings and infrastructure are in place, and to avoid the access

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

difficulties seen across the border. During her visit, Baroness Morgan

said the policy would help families with the cost of living while also making it easier for parents to stay in work or return to employment.

She said: “In the middle of a cost

of living crisis, childcare is not just a convenience – it is a lifeline for working parents and the foundation of our children’s futures.

“We are putting money back into the pockets of families. While others are making promises that do not add up, we are setting out a measured and sustainable plan that supports providers and gives every child in Wales a fair start.

“Welsh Labour is focused on what we can actually deliver. Plaid’s proposal would leave a massive hole in Wales’ budget, raising serious questions which they need to answer.”

Labour said the Welsh Government had already moved to support childcare providers through a 4.2 per cent increase in the childcare offer rate for 2026-27, following a 28 per cent increase for 2025-26. It also pointed to the decision to make business rates relief for childcare premises permanent, saying the move would provide longer-term stability for providers across Wales.

The visit formed part of Labour’s wider election messaging, with the party seeking to present its childcare offer as both ambitious and affordable while drawing a clear dividing line

Victims left in the dark after release errors, commissioner warns

vICTIMS are still being failed by the justice system when offenders are released in error, the victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has warned.

Claire Waxman OBE spoke out after the publication of Dame Lynne Owens’ independent review into releases in error, which was published by the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday (Apr 15). The Government said it had accepted all 33 recommendations in principle and would

take forward those that can be delivered within the current spending period.

The review was commissioned after the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford, but went on to examine wider problems across the prison and justice system. The Government said recent cases had exposed deep-rooted issues and described the number of release errors as unacceptably high, despite a recent reduction.

According to the Ministry of Justice, there were 179 recorded releases in error from prison between April 2025 and March 2026, a fall of 32 per cent compared with the previous year. Ministers said new checks and a dedicated query unit had already helped prevent further mistakes, while £10m has been committed to digital and AIbased tools aimed at reducing errors.

But Ms Waxman said the review had exposed serious failings in the way victims are informed when offenders are released by mistake.

She said: “Mistaken releases are an appalling failure of our justice system. They cause serious distress to victims and undermine trust and confidence in the justice system.

“Dame Lynne Owens’ report exposes serious failings in how victims are informed when offenders are released in error. In some cases, victims were contacted too late – with one learning through social media – because agencies could not identify which victim contact scheme applied or who was responsible for notifying them.

“I welcome the government’s acceptance of the review and the steps being taken to reduce these errors. But when mistakes do occur, it is paramount that victims are informed first, as

quickly as possible and through official channels. Victims should never learn through the media, or by chance, that an offender has been released in error.”

The Victims’ Commissioner said victims should always be told first, as quickly as possible and through official channels, rather than finding out through the media or by chance.

She also backed Dame Lynne’s call for a clear national protocol on victim notification and repeated her own longstanding call for the introduction of a unique victim identifier, which she said would allow agencies to identify, track and contact victims more quickly across the justice system.

Without it, she warned, the system could lose sight of victims at the very moment they most need protection.

The Government said the review’s recommendations covered data and digital systems, governance, process improvements, training and culture. It added that further action would be taken in several areas, with some longer-term reforms dependent on future funding decisions.

The Ministry of Justice said it remained committed to reducing the risk of offenders being released in error and returning figures to pre-prison capacity crisis levels.

Fire crews and Dragon LNG test rescue response

MILFORD HAvEN Fire Station and Dragon LNG, Waterston, carried out a joint training exercise this week in the workshop and warehouse area of the site.

The exercise gave both organisations the opportunity to work through a different type of incident, as most of their usual joint training is focused on Dragon LNG’s liquefied natural gas process areas.

The scenario involved a fire in the workshop, with three people unaccounted for.

On arrival, the first fire crew was met by a member of Dragon LNG staff, who provided key information to the initial officer in charge. Once that handover had taken place, crews quickly set to work setting up fireground equipment while breathing apparatus teams prepared to enter the building.

A key part of the exercise was testing communication between the site’s responsible person and the officer in charge, before that information was passed on to breathing apparatus teams to ensure safe entry and the rescue of casualties.

Crews also practised new procedures, including the use of a smoke curtain at entry points to help control the amount of air entering the building.

A breathing apparatus emergency was also introduced during the exercise to simulate a firefighter in distress. The aim was to reinforce established procedures and help ensure the safety of crews operating inside the building.

Both organisations said the training provided valuable learning points for future incidents.

Milford Haven Fire Station thanked Dragon LNG staff for allowing crews to use the site’s facilities.

Fishguard man sent to Crown Court over cocaine supply case

A FISHGUARD man has been sent to Crown Court for sentence after admitting possessing cocaine with intent to supply.

Rhun Francis, 53, of Penbanc,

Fishguard, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cannabis and possessing criminal property, namely £2,610 in cash.

The court heard that Francis was stopped and searched by police while driving on August 13.

Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker said that when officers asked if there were drugs in the vehicle, Francis immediately produced two bags of white powder from the front console and placed them on the driver’s seat.

“A further wrapper of cocaine was found in a wallet in the vehicle,” she said.

The total drugs recovered amounted to 20.79 grams of cocaine and 17 grams of cannabis.

The court was told that during police interview Francis admitted having “a big problem with cocaine use”.

“People ask him to get them some, and he supplies up to seven people fairly regularly,” said Ms Baker.

“He only supplies a few grams at a time and charges £95 for a gram and £50 for a half.

“He uses up to 50 per cent of what he buys for his personal use and then he sells the rest.”

Francis was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who said the offending involved a limited number of users and was driven by the

defendant’s own addiction.

“The amount of dealing is limited to a maximum of seven people and was only used to facilitate his own habit,” he said.

“The amount of drugs found was relatively small and the cash found in his possession would have gone on to purchase more cocaine. But the vast majority of this money was left over from a building job carried out at his property. His phone analysis corroborates with this.”

Because of the seriousness of the offences, magistrates declined jurisdiction.

Francis will now be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on May 5. He was released on unconditional bail.

Aberporth meeting to challenge drone surveillance plans

Campaign group raises concerns over council policy and private weapons firms operating in West Wales

WEST WALES AGAINST ARMS

will hold a third community meeting in Aberporth this Friday as campaigners step up concerns over proposed drone surveillance in Ceredigion and the growing role of private arms companies in the area.

The meeting will take place at 6.30pm on Friday, April 17, at Aberporth Village Hall.

Organisers say the event will

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focus on two main issues: Ceredigion County Council’s draft plans to use drones for surveillance, and the continued use of Aberporth by private weapons companies.

Campaigners are questioning why the council believes drone surveillance is needed, pointing to figures they

Driver banned after cocaine found in system

A HAvERFORDWEST man has been banned from the roads after police found cocaine in his system during a roadside stop-check.

Jacob Payne, 27, of Back Lane, Haverfordwest, was stopped by officers carrying out checks at St Thomas Green at around 4:30pm on December 4.

Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week that officers could smell cannabis coming from inside the vehicle.

“When spoken to, the defendant admitted taking an illegal drug a few days prior to being stopped,” she said.

A roadside drugs wipe tested positive for cocaine. Further blood analysis later showed the lowest benzoylecgonine reading was 96 microgrammes per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50.

Payne pleaded guilty to drugdriving.

His solicitor, Jess Hill, told the court the offence took place on the same day as his partner’s grandfather’s funeral.

“It was an emotional day all round,” she said.

“He’d taken cocaine whilst socialising a few days before and doesn’t often use it. But he’s easily influenced by others, and this was why he took it.”

Magistrates disqualified Payne from driving for 38 months.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

In addition, Payne was made subject to a 12-month community order during which he must complete ten rehabilitation activity requirement days.

anti-social behaviour hotspots are, how many drones the council plans to use, what type they will be, which companies may supply them, and who will be responsible for training remote pilots.

West Wales Against Arms says the consultation, which ran over the Christmas period, was lacking in clear answers and concrete information, and argues that this should be a matter of concern for people living and working in the county.

The meeting will also look at wider activity linked to Aberporth and West Wales Airport. The group says Tekever, which supplies surveillance drones to the Home Office, has opened a UAV pilot school at the airport this year. It also raises concerns over Tekever’s work with QinetiQ, which runs MOD Aberporth, through the DroneWorks programme aimed at allowing more businesses to use the site for testing drone and weapons-related technology.

say show anti-social behaviour in Ceredigion is ranked very low. They are asking the authority to explain what evidence it has to justify the use of drones to monitor communities.

They also argue that the council’s consultation on its proposed UAV drone policy did not provide enough detail for residents and businesses to give properly informed responses.

Among the questions they want answered are where any alleged

Organisers say the meeting will build on what they describe as productive discussions at earlier events and will give local residents the chance to raise concerns and question decision-makers directly.

Ceredigion County Council representatives have been invited to attend, including councillors Bryan Davies, Gethin Davies and Clive Davies, along with the council’s Partnership Manager and Corporate Lead Officer.

West Wales Against Arms says all members of the public are welcome.

Drunk Driver caught speeding through Neyland

MOTORIST who was almost three times over the drink-drive limit was seen speeding through Neyland High Street before being stopped by police, magistrates have heard.

Christopher Harper, 47, of Strongbow Walk, Pembroke, was seen leaving the marina car park at around 10:00am on March 26 while driving a Nissan Juke.

Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week that the vehicle had earlier been seen parked in the lower marina car park.

“The driver appeared to be under the influence of something and seemed incapable of driving,” she said.

Officers watched as the vehicle pulled out of the car park and travelled at speed towards the High Street.

“The officers activated their blue lights and the vehicle finally came to a stop at the top of the High Street,” she said.

When spoken to by police, Harper

admitted he had consumed a large amount of alcohol at around 2:00am that morning.

He gave a positive roadside breath test and was arrested. Further breath tests carried out at the police station showed he had 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Harper pleaded guilty to the drinkdriving charge and represented himself in court.

“It was stupid and I shouldn’t have done what I did,” he told magistrates in mitigation.

Because of the high alcohol reading, magistrates adjourned sentencing until April 16 so that a probation report can be prepared.

Harper was released on unconditional bail, and an interim driving ban was imposed pending sentence.

Grand Slam win for Pembrokeshire rugby ace

A PEMBROKESHIRE rugby player is celebrating a grand slam win this month after being selected to head one of Hong Kong’s eight premiership rugby clubs.

Amy Rothero, 25, has been named as the new general manager of the all-inclusive Kowloon Rugby Club which boasts seven rugby teams, four netball teams and a cricket team, all competing in leagues across Hong Kong.

The same month, Rothero discovered she is one of just 50 international females selected to sit on the United Rugby Club Leadership Academy. This is a global initiative that redefines access and opportunities for women to pursue careers in the sporting industry all over the world.

“This is a truly fantastic opportunity as it comes at a time when I really wanted to focus on a strong career in sport” Amy told The Pembrokeshire Herald.

“When I first arrived in Hong Kong back in 2024, I didn’t have a particular job in mind. I just wanted to improve my skills. But I soon realised just how important rugby is regarded here and that this was a great place to further my skills.”

Amy, who is the daughter of Brian and Ceri Rothero, began making a name for herself on the sporting circuit as a Neyland schoolgirl when she competed nationally as a hurdler. She began playing rugby at a young age, inspired by her father who was a rugby coach for many years, and her younger brother Oliver, who currently plays for Neyland RFC. Last year saw Oliver pass no fewer than 226 points for the rugby season together with 12 tries and 15 conversions.

After leaving school, Amy joined the Scarlets Under 18’s, and then studied sports management at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

“This was when my rugby really started to develop and the more I started to get out of the game, the more I wanted to pursue it as a career,” she explains.

“I started looking at different countries, to see what they were able to offer, and one of the ones that kept coming up was Hong Kong. They had a women’s team, they were recruiting players, and so in 2024 I made the decision to join them.”

Within a very short time, Amy began to realise just how integral rugby is to the people of Hong Kong.

“I had no idea how big the game is here. It’s a very rugby-loving nation with the result that many people choose to come over here to play. And as the

years go by, it’s just getting bigger and bigger, with the result that the imports are definitely going to increase.”

Amy’s first job in Hong Kong was with the children’s global rugby programme Rugbytots, where she was appointed the club’s first female head coach. Seven months later she was offered an administrative role which she successfully juggled alongside her coaching.

“This was a great way to find my feet in Hong Kong and I absolutely loved it,” said Amy.

“And what made it even better was that my boss at Rugbytots is Welsh, so this gave me a wonderful taste of home.”

Amy’s talents, both as a player and as a communicator, were soon acknowledged by her seniors, with the result that she has now been offered the position of general manager of Kowloon Rugby Club.

“It’s an extremely exciting opportunity as many teams operate within the club, including premiership rugby, women’s premiership as well as other sectors such as netball and cricket.

“Naturally it’s bittersweet, as it means I’ll no longer be able to play rugby. But I know that the time has come to move on to bigger and better things. I can park my playing for now, but I know that I can always go back to it in the future if I choose to.”

Amy has also been named as one of 50 females from 22 countries and five continents selected for the United Rugby Club Leadership Academy. This is a global initiative that helps create opportunities for women pursuing careers across the sports industry.

Now entering its fifth year, the programme has already supported aspiring young women from across the world, connecting them with influential leaders, mentors, and decisionmakers in sport. Many graduates have gone on to secure roles in elite performance, broadcasting, event management, and sports governance , which is evidence of the Academy’s growing global impact.

“Yes, I’m excited at everything that’s happened in my career this year, but I miss the UK and my home in Pembrokeshire so much,” concludes Amy.

“I get homesick. I come back at Christmas and for a few weeks in the summer, but my ultimate goal is to continue my career in the UK. I know deep down, that everything that’s happening now is preparing me for when that time comes.”

Letterston nursery cemetery container storage plans refused

A CALL for a storage container for a “well-established and valued” Pembrokeshire children’s nursery in a nearby cemetery has been refused by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Diane Evans of Meithrinfa Do Re Mi Nursery sought permission for the installation of a storage container, partially in retrospect, at Horeb Cemetery, Station Road, Letterston.

A supporting statement said: “The container is required to provide

essential ancillary storage to support the lawful and established nursery use within the [nearby] chapel building.

“The site forms part of an active cemetery, owned and managed by a group of trustees. The applicant is one of the trustees and has obtained formal permission from the trustees for the container to be sited on this land.”

It added: “The container will be

used solely for storage of nursery equipment and materials, including outdoor learning resources, maintenance equipment, and items required to manage both the nursery grounds and the cemetery land. No additional operational activity will take place within or around the container.”

It said the nursery, which provides childcare for approximately 83 children from the local community, “operates with a strong community focus and promotes sustainability and environmental awareness,” with plans to soften the container appearance through the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers.

An officer report recommending refusal said: “Whilst the container itself is modest in size and of a simple rectangular form, the proposal does introduce a rudimentary and visually incongruous structure. Its appearance is out of scale with its surroundings and detracts from the polite architectural character of Horeb Chapel.

“Consideration has been made with regards to alternative locations within the site, however, due to site constraints, the applicant has stated that there is no other feasible position for the container. Given the restrictive

nature of the site, combined with its use as a cemetery, raises concerns as to whether a shipping container by its form and design can be considered an appropriate or complementary addition.

“Although the applicant has provided justification regarding the operational need for the additional storage, and while the local planning authority recognises and supports the functional requirements of the nursery, consideration must also be given to more sympathetic design solution.”

One letter of objection raised concerns including the container design, scale, inappropriate siting, visual impact and concerns about its deterioration, along with a potential impact on property values.

The application was refused on the grounds it would be “an overbearing and visually intrusive feature,” having “a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area,” and it “fails to identify the green infrastructure baseline of the site and follow a stepwise approach to provide sufficient and accurate mitigation and compensation measures”.

BPCA calls for stronger action to protect Welsh homes from pests

AHEAD of the Senedd elections in May, British Pest Control Association (BPCA) is calling on the next Welsh Government to do more to protect people in Wales from preventable pest problems in their homes.

In its new manifesto for public health pest management in Wales, the national trade body says no one should have to live with rats, cockroaches, flies or other pests because of poor housing conditions, slow repairs or inadequate waste management.

Housing, public health and environmental regulation are devolved to the Senedd.

BPCA is urging Welsh policymakers to make sure protections against pest problems apply to all renters, not just those in social housing.

The Association warned that pests in homes are not just a nuisance and can pose a risk to health.

Rodents can spread diseases, including leptospirosis, salmonella and listeria, while also causing damage by gnawing pipes and wiring. Cockroaches, flies, and other insects can spread pathogens, contaminate food and damage belongings.

Rosina Robson, Chief Exec of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), said: “Too many people are still being left to deal with pest problems that could and should have

been prevented.

“Where there are building defects, poor waste management or delays to repairs, infestations can quickly take hold. That has a real impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life.

“It should not matter whether someone lives in social housing, private rented housing or temporary accommodation. The risks posed by pests are the same, and the protections should be too.

“We want the next Welsh Government to recognise the danger pests pose in people’s homes and make sure everyone in Wales has the right to live in a decent home that is protected from avoidable infestations.”

BPCA’s manifesto calls on the next Welsh Government to:

• Recognise the danger that pests pose to the health and well-being of tenants

• Ensure protections for all renters, including people living in social rented, private rented and

temporary accommodation

• Back a stronger public health approach to pest management in Wales.

The manifesto also highlights the wider role of professional pest management in protecting public health, food supply chains and the built environment across Wales.

BPCA says tackling pests properly means more than responding once an infestation has taken hold. Landlords and property managers also need to act on the advice of pest professionals, including improving communal waste disposal, repairing defects in buildings and addressing the conditions that allow pests to thrive.

Niall Gallagher, BPCA’s Technical Manager, added: “We wouldn’t accept pest activity in places such as factories or restaurants where food is prepared, and people should not be expected to put up with the same risks in their own homes

“This is about prevention, public health and basic standards. Wales has an opportunity to lead the way and make sure fewer people are left living in misery because of pests.”

BPCA’s full manifesto, A manifesto for public health pest management in Wales, is available from the Association’s website.

Cave beneath Pembroke Castle could rewrite Britain’s prehistoric story

Five-year project to explore Wogan Cavern after remarkable finds including hippo bones, mammoth remains and evidence of early humans

A CAvE hidden beneath Pembroke Castle could help rewrite the story of prehistoric Britain after archaeologists uncovered evidence of human and animal activity stretching back more than 100,000 years.

A major new five-year archaeological project, led by the University of Aberdeen, will now investigate Wogan Cavern in greater depth after early excavations revealed what researchers believe may be one of the most important prehistoric archives in Britain.

Funding for the work has been awarded by the Calleva Foundation, with further support from the Pembroke Castle Trust, which is expanding its team and developing space at the castle so finds from the cavern can be preserved and kept in Pembroke.

Reached by a spiral staircase from inside the castle, the enormous cave had long been thought to have been emptied by Victorian digging, leading many to assume that little archaeological material remained.

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But small-scale excavations carried out between 2021 and 2024 told a very different story.

Researchers uncovered abundant evidence of repeated human and animal visits over tens of thousands of years, with much of the cave’s sediment still intact. Finds already include the bones of mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, reindeer and wild horse, along with stone tools and signs of human occupation from several prehistoric periods.

Among the most striking discoveries are hippo bones believed to date from the last interglacial period around 120,000 years ago, when the climate was far warmer and hippopotamuses roamed what is now Wales.

Dr Rob Dinnis, who directed the first excavations and will lead the new project for the University of Aberdeen, said the significance of the site was already clear.

He said: “Despite the limited work done so far, we can already say that Wogan Cavern is a truly remarkable site.

“Not only is there extremely rare evidence for early Homo sapiens, there are also hints at even earlier human occupation, probably by Neanderthals.

“There is no other site like it in Britain – it is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. With this new project we can learn a great deal about our early prehistoric forebears, about how they lived and what their worlds looked like.”

Archaeologists hope larger-scale excavations will reveal more about extinct animals, ancient environments and the changing climate, as well as the different groups of humans who may have used the cave.

Dr Dinnis said the team was optimistic the site could preserve a long sequence of human activity, from hunter-gatherers living there just after the last Ice Age around 11,500 years ago, back to Britain’s earliest Homo sapiens between 45,000 and 35,000 years ago, and possibly even earlier

traces left by Neanderthals.

He added: “We have also found hippo bones, which probably date to the last interglacial period, around 120,000 years ago. The site could therefore tell us about how multiple changes in climate and environment affected people living there over 100,000 years or more.”

The project will make use of the University of Aberdeen’s expertise in archaeological science, alongside specialists from across Britain and Europe.

Professor Kate Britton, a specialist in science-based archaeology at the university, said the cave offered an exceptional opportunity to apply modern scientific methods.

She said: “Wogan Cavern provides a unique chance to use all the scientific techniques now available to archaeologists.

“Because the bones are well preserved, we can learn a lot about past environments and ecosystems, and do high-resolution scientific dating. Furthermore, pilot studies have shown that ancient DNA is preserved, in both the bones and the cave sediments.

“The project’s team of specialists are excited to learn as much as possible about the cave and its early inhabitants – animal and human – in the coming years.”

For Pembroke Castle, best known as the birthplace of Henry Tudor and one of Wales’ leading visitor attractions, the discovery opens an entirely new chapter in its long history.

Dr Jonquil Mogg, the newly appointed collections manager at Pembroke Castle, said: “Pembroke Castle has long been a very important part of Welsh and British history. Wogan Cavern has the potential to also establish it as a place of huge significance to British archaeology.”

Castle manager Jon Williams added: “This is incredibly exciting news for everyone at the castle.

“We have watched with great interest as Wogan Cavern has started to reveal its secrets – it’s very different from the medieval history we usually deal with at the castle.

“We are thrilled that work on this wonderful cave will continue. We very much look forward to working more with Rob and his team, and securing the collection for the people of Pembroke, Wales and beyond.”

New excavations are due to begin at the end of May.

West Wales pubs need more support, say Davies and Kurtz

WELSH CONSERvATIvE

candidates for Ceredigion Penfro, Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz, have called for greater backing for pubs and the wider hospitality sector after visiting The Ship Aground in Dinas Cross.

During the visit, they met staff and customers to hear first-hand about the pressures facing local pubs, including rising costs and the impact of the business rates multiplier following the latest revaluation, which has brought new calculations into force this month.

They said the figures underline the importance of the sector to the local economy. Across Mid and South Pembrokeshire, there are 162 pubs and five breweries, contributing £57 million to the economy and supporting 1,175 jobs. Across Ceredigion Penfro, 161 pubs and five breweries support 1,800 jobs and contribute £59 million.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Davies said: “Pubs are at the heart of communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They support local jobs, bring people together and play a huge role in our tourism economy.

“These figures show just how important the sector is, but landlords are telling us the pressure is intensifying, with the business rates system hitting them particularly hard at a time when costs are already high.”

Mr Kurtz said his Best Local Pub

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competition had shown how valued pubs are by local communities.

“I’ve seen that first-hand through my Best Local Pub competition, which I’ve been running for the past few years,” he said. “It has highlighted just how much these businesses mean to their communities and how important they are to local tourism and community life.

“But I’m also hearing real concern from businesses more broadly. At a recent business rates roundtable Paul

and I hosted, with around 150 local businesses on the call, there was significant concern about the impact of the revaluation and the extra pressure it could place on already stretched firms.”

Following the meeting, the pair, both former Members of the Senedd for Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire respectively, renewed calls for the Welsh Government to review business rates and provide additional support for the sector.

Mr Kurtz said recent action by the Welsh Government was welcome, but did not go far enough.

“The recent confirmation of an additional £8 million to extend relief for hospitality businesses is welcome and will provide eligible ratepayers with 15 per cent relief for 2026-27, subject to a £110,000 cap across Wales,” he said.

“However, for many pubs and hospitality businesses facing rising costs, this will not go far enough.”

The Welsh Conservatives say they would take a different approach, including scrapping business rates for pubs altogether as part of wider support for the hospitality trade.

Mr Kurtz added: “We also want to see targeted support for tourism and hospitality businesses that recognises their importance to rural economies like ours.

“We need a longer-term solution that properly supports the sector and recognises the vital role it plays in our local economy, tourism industry and community life.”

Both candidates warned that without further action, more hospitality businesses could struggle to survive.

Mr Davies said: “If we want to keep our pubs thriving, we need to ease the burden on them now and give them the support they need to grow.

“This is about protecting jobs, supporting tourism and backing local communities. Our pubs are a vital part of what makes this area special, and they deserve our support.”

Pembrokeshire holiday lets by pub to homes plans lodged

A CALL to convert holiday lets in a Pembrokeshire village to a single home for their owner to downsize has been submitted to county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Dr Susan Richards, through agent Carl Bentley Architectural Services, seeks permission for a change

of use and alteration works from two holiday let units to form one dwelling at Dovecote Cottage, Cosheston, near Pembroke Dock.

A supporting statement

accompanying the application says:

“This planning application seeks a change of use of the holiday let units known as Dovecote Cottage to form a new dwelling for the applicant to use as her main/only residence.

“The original farm/agricultural buildings at East Farm were converted

from old farm outbuildings to selfcatering holiday let units in the 1980s and 2010s partly by the previous owner and also partly by the current owner/applicant.”

It says Dr Richards, living at the village’s Little Mayeston Cottage, has been in the village since 2016, and has owned Dovecote Cottage, near the village’s Brewery Inn, since 2017, adding: “The applicant wishes to downsize from the current dwelling and relocate to a central village location to a smaller dwelling and be closer to friends within the village.”

Of the proposals it further says:

“The holiday let units are semidetached single storey traditional farm outbuildings of stone wall construction set under a pitched roof.

“One unit (known as Dovecote Cottage) provides two bedrooms of accommodation for four people, and the other unit (known as The Stable at Dovecote Cottage) provides one bedroom of accommodation for four people. Both units have open plan kitchens / dining and living areas plus separate shower rooms.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

The alternative view By Mike Dello

As a good proportion of the world is engulfed in bitter conflict, up to now Starmer is finally standing up to Donald Trump, and we have avoided the world’s hot spots by the skin of our teeth. That is until now, when our old adversary, the Soviet Union, starts spying on our cables, i.e. internet security beneath the Channel, and inserts Russian submarines and ships within our waters.

Just last month, Sir Keir bravely announced that the UK would seize Russian vessels in the Channel. As so often happens, Putin ignored his foes. Now Defence Secretary John Healey puffs out his chest and declares: “We will take Russia on!” With what, Mr Healey? Most of our meagre naval defence is either deployed elsewhere or broken down, and it looks like France, of all people, is ready to help out. Another example of the shambolic state our so-called defence mechanism is in.

Now, I have nothing but the highest regard for our NHS. Within

the main doors of our hospitals, I personally, twelve months ago, was given first-class care and treatment from the wonderful, undervalued staff at Withybush Hospital.

The reason I say “within the main doors” is that the NHS has two, not one, Achilles’ heels, and that is A&E and ambulance waiting times. It is nothing unusual to wait some 17 or 18 hours in A&E, and upwards of 12 hours for a life-saving ambulance. Wes Streeting, the bright-eyed Health Secretary, made himself look silly on Sunday once again blaming the Tories. Grow up, Mr Streeting. This has been your watch now for almost two years. He is losing his grip on the junior doctors’ strike. The young medical staff are not satisfied with just 1,000 new places while 120,000 doctors have been recruited from overseas.

When asked whether doctors should be barred from striking like prison officers and the police, he fudged the question. I thought he was the only Labour minister with

anything about him. Not any more. Just another Tory-blamer like all the rest.

I watched an extraordinary interview on Sunday morning on The Camilla Tominey Show. Opposite her was Reform’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf. He has always struck me as a cool and articulate customer, but it suddenly exploded into who could talk loudest as the tenacious Camilla quizzed him over policy. Yusuf was clearly rattled like never before, and I was left wondering: are there cracks beginning to show in Reform as the polls narrow? May 7 is going to be very interesting.

Meanwhile, in Hungary, Viktor Orban’s 16-year presidency is over. The centre-right man who has had an iron grip on the former communist nation, and was unusually an ally of both Trump and Putin, suffered a landslide defeat to another centreright candidate, Peter Magyar. Last week, US Vice President JD Vance gave Orban the dreaded kiss of

death on a state visit, urging the Hungarian electorate to back the sitting president.

If any more evidence was needed over the British people’s correct decision to leave the bureaucratic EU, EasyJet passengers, more than 100 people, missed their flights to Manchester from Milan due to the EU deploying a disastrous exit and passport system. The plane travelled to the UK empty of passengers, meaning hotel stays for people, and some folk experienced vomiting and passing out. I know a certain PM who would like us to rejoin this undemocratic circus.

And finally, as AI almost drowns mankind, who is coming up for air? For the third time, all the millions of Trekkies worldwide who followed Bert’s converted minibus in orbit are in for one hell of a treat going forward, as AI will soon provide a moon landing every couple of months, followed by trips to Mars and beyond. Seat belts on, folks, it’s going to be a blast!

Pembrokeshire Mynachlogddu home’s 20 year planning breach

A CONDITION restricting a rural Pembrokeshire home to agricultural workers-only has been removed after its occupants lived in breach of that for some two decades.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Richard Tadman and Rebecca Brinton, through agent Carver Knowles, sought a certificate of lawfulness for noncompliance of an agricultural/forestry occupancy condition for Brynmelyn, Mynachlogddu.

The condition restricting the occupancy was part of a consent for the farmhouse granted back in 1985.

An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to stay at a development if they can provide proof of occupancy without any enforcement challenge over a prolonged period.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said evidence had been gathered to verify that since May 2006 the property has been occupied in breach of that condition, Ms Brinton purchasing the property that year, with Mr Tadman living there until 2022 and Ms Brinton continuing to do so.

When Mr Tadman was living at

Lauren

Brynmelyn he was self-employed as a mechanic, and Ms Brinton has not worked in agriculture or forestry, other than the couple keeping a few animals including chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigs for a short period from 2008 until 2010 when the pigs had to be culled following a TB outbreak, the poultry succumbing to foxes.

The statement said council tax payment records to Pembrokeshire

Clewes begins trainee solicitor role at Eaton-Evans and Morris

LAUREN CLEWES has been promoted to trainee solicitor at EatonEvans and Morris Solicitors.

Lauren joined the firm in 2024 as a paralegal, working first with Helen Hodges and later with Pauline Mainwaring.

Over the coming months, she will work alongside the firm’s fee earners across all departments as part of her training.

Sean Dyer, one of the firm’s directors (pictured), offered his congratulations on her promotion.

County Council showed the occupancy from 2006, adding that many of the previous owners apart from the original has not got an agricultural worker connection either,

An officer report recommending approval, which led to the issuing of a certificate of lawfulness, said: “The occupation of Brynmelyn of persons not employed in agriculture or forestry has been continuous for a period in excess of 10 years. It therefore

represents a use unauthorised by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

“The use of the dwelling exceeds the time limit for the Local Planning Authority to take any enforcement action, in accordance with Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) and / or the preceding Town and Country Planning Act 1971. This authority considers that a Lawful Development Certificate can be issued.”

Tenby harbour RNLI building takeaway allowed after appeal

A REFUSED scheme for a takeaway food kiosk at a former lifeboat store in Tenby’s seaside harbour, has now been allowed following a successful appeal.

At the March 2025 development management committee, Ruby Goodrick sought permission from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners to turn the old RNLI lifeboat store, Penniless Cove, Tenby Harbour, into a takeaway cold food outlet, open 10am-10pm seven days a week.

The application came before committee members rather than an officer decision as Tenby Town Council objected, and was recommended for approval despite being a departure from the adopted development plan.

However, members voted by 12 in favour to three against approval.

Since then, the applicant lodged an appeal with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), Ruby Goodrick in her statement saying: “The application was refused on the basis that the proposed use is located outside the defined town centre boundary and therefore is contrary [to policies]. However, as outlined in the planning officer’s own assessment, the building is situated approximately 25 metres outside of the defined retail centre and is a use that would otherwise be considered acceptable within that centre.”

It added: “Furthermore, there are already existing local businesses at Tenby Harbour that are allowed to operate without issue. These businesses demonstrate that commercial use in the area, including food-related enterprises, does not adversely affect the surrounding environment or the special qualities of the National Park.”

The Inspector’s report which allowed the appeal, granting permission, focussed on “whether the development would be an appropriate use within this location, the impact

on the character and appearance of the area, and whether it would affect Tenby Conservation Area”.

It said that, although the site was just outside the town centre “I consider that a small scale cold food takeaway outlet in this location would not undermine the town centre of Tenby or its retail function and would not have any impact on its future viability and vitality,” adding: “To the contrary, the development would complement the role of the town centre by contributing to having a mix of uses within this edge of centre location, which is encouraged within Future Wales.”

On objections raised about a potential conflict between customers and other harbour users it said: “Whilst there would be instances of queuing outside the premises at busier times I am not persuaded that this would cause conflict with other users of the harbour or cause any hazard with harbour vehicles; the Highways Authority raised no objections to the scheme.”

On potential impacts on the Conservation Area and Tenby Castle, the Inspector noted concerns raised but said it “would not result in any visual impact on the historic harbour area or be unsympathetically sited within this historic landscape”.

The report also said, in terms of waste generation “the addition of another small premises would not have a detrimental impact on refuse levels in the area”.

After considering all the issues, the Inspector’s final conclusion stated: “Having regard to the above and considered all other matters raised by interested parties, I conclude that the appeal should be allowed.

“Planning permission for the takeaway cold food outlet at the former RNLI lifeboat store has therefore been granted.”

Coast Path named one of the best UK routes for hay fever sufferers

New research says sea breezes and exposed cliff-top paths make county trail a safer bet for runners with allergies

PEMBROKESHIRE’S worldfamous Coast Path has been named one of the best trail running routes in the UK for people who suffer from hay fever.

New research by health and fitness supplement brand Ten Percent Club ranked the Pembrokeshire Coast Path joint second overall among the UK’s National Trails for low hay fever risk, giving it a score of 3.8 out of 5.

Only the South West Coast Path matched it, while the King Charles III England Coast Path also received the same score.

The study looked at all 20 UK National Trails and assessed them across five factors linked to pollen exposure: altitude, vegetation type, landscape, wind exposure, and animal and insect density.

According to the findings, coastal

routes performed far better than inland trails because of their stronger air flow, open terrain and lower pollen build-up.

Researchers said the Pembrokeshire Coast Path’s exposed cliff tops, constant sea breezes and relatively limited dense vegetation make it one of the most suitable long-distance routes in Britain for runners who struggle with seasonal allergies.

That could come as welcome news

for many local runners and walkers as tree pollen season begins and spring training gets underway.

For the estimated millions of hay fever sufferers across the UK, the report suggests that choosing a route like the Pembrokeshire Coast Path could make a noticeable difference compared with more enclosed inland trails, where pollen can hang in still air and become more concentrated.

The worst-performing route in the study was the Thames Path, which scored just 2.0 out of 5. Other poorly rated trails included the North Downs Way, Cotswold Way and Glyndŵr’s Way.

The research found that low-lying riverside routes, wooded valleys and areas with dense vegetation tend to be the most difficult for allergy sufferers, particularly in late spring and early summer when pollen levels rise.

By contrast, Pembrokeshire’s coast appears to offer something of a natural advantage.

With marathon season already under way and more people heading outdoors as the weather improves, the findings may give local runners another reason to stick to the county’s spectacular coastline.

St Davids High Street City Hall community artworks approved

PLANS for a series of decorative mosaics as part of a community art project at Pembrokeshire’s only city hall have been approved. In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, St Davids City Council sought permission for three decorative mosaic community art project panels on St Davids City Hall, High Street, two to the front and one to the rear of the building.

An officer report recommending approval said: “No adverse comments have been received from consultees, and no third-party representations have been received. It is not deemed that the mosaic panels would have an adverse impact upon the character

or appearance of the St Davids Conservation Area, nor the street scene in general.”

It goes on to say: “City Hall is located within St Davids Conservation Area – The City, as defined within the Authority’s SPG. This area is mainly late Victorian, with a number of properties dating from the early nineteenth century. This was effectively a second phase of rebuilding in the city.

“The main element of the city is the informality of the built form, reflected in varied boundary treatments and the tendency towards pairs and short groups as opposed to long terraces. The Buildings Conservation Officer has been consulted and notes that the proposal has a negligible impact upon character and appearance of the conservation area.”

It added: “Neither is it deemed that harm would be caused to the special qualities of this part of the National Park. The artworks would contribute to the vibrancy of the city centre and would not appear visually intrusive. Overall, the proposed development is considered to be acceptable, and a recommendation to grant permission –subject to suitably worded conditions – is made.”

It adds: “Whilst City Hall itself is not listed, the cottage (No 18 High Street) is Grade-II-listed. Whilst the Buildings Conservation Officer refers only to the impact upon the conservation area, he has verbally confirmed that the proposed mosaics would not have an adverse impact upon the setting of this listed building.”

The application was conditionally approved by planners.

Tenby Golf Club raises more than £50,000 for Welsh charities

Fundraising efforts by members, staff and supporters continue to make a major difference to good causes across Wales

TENBY GOLF CLUB has raised more than £50,000 for Welsh charities in recent seasons, with members, staff, visitors and local sponsors all playing their part in a remarkable community fundraising effort.

The club’s long-standing commitment to supporting good causes has gathered pace in the years since the return to golf after the Covid pandemic, with captains and members continuing to rally behind charities close to their hearts.

Among the organisations to benefit are Kidney Wales, Epilepsy Wales, Alzheimer’s Society, Motor Neurone Disease Association, British Heart Foundation, RNLI, Paul Sartori Foundation and Greenacres Rescue.

Some of the most significant recent donations include £12,500 for Alzheimer’s Society and more than £8,000 for the Paul Sartori Foundation.

The Herald understands the money has been raised through a combination of raffles, donations, fundraising days, prize contributions and sponsorship, as well as the time and effort freely given by club members and supporters.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

Each year, the Club Captain, Ladies Captain and Seniors Captain choose charities to support, helping to ensure the club’s fundraising reflects personal causes as well as wider community needs.

This year, Tenby Golf Club is continuing in the same spirit, with fundraising focused on the DPJ Foundation, Alzheimer’s Society and Wales Air Ambulance.

A recent fundraising day alone raised £1,600 for Wales Air Ambulance, underlining the enthusiasm within the club for backing Welsh charities and community organisations.

PROUD HISTORY

Founded in 1888, Tenby Golf Club is

The club has thanked everyone who has supported the fundraising efforts over the years, from those buying raffle tickets to those donating prizes, volunteering at events or helping to organise activities behind the scenes.

oldest affiliated golf club in Wales. Originally opened as a nine-hole course, it was extended to 18 holes in 1907 after legendary course designer James Braid was commissioned to develop the layout.

In more recent years, the course has been extended from a par 69 to a par 72, with several holes reshaped both to increase length and to respond to the challenges of coastal erosion.

Tenby Golf Club has also earned national recognition within the sport,

having been named Welsh Golf Club of the Year in 2014 and ranked among the Rolex World Top 1,000 golf courses. Widely regarded as one of the country’s must-play courses, it has hosted national, county and PGA tournaments, while Rhys Harry serves as the club’s on-site golf professional and award-winning coach.

But beyond its golfing reputation, the club’s fundraising success is another sign of the important role it continues to play in the local community.

Chitty set to fly into Torch Theatre in 2027

MILFORD HAvEN Amateur Operatic Society has announced the first member of the creative team for its 2027 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Torch Theatre.

The society revealed this week that Angharad Sanders will join the production as Musical Director, as preparations begin for the muchloved Ian Fleming musical to arrive in Pembrokeshire in March 2027.

In a post shared on social media, the group said it was “absolutely thrilled” to unveil part of the production team for the show, describing Sanders as bringing “a wealth of knowledge from the West End to Pembrokeshire”.

The appointment comes after the society’s recent sell-out production of Evita, with members saying they were delighted to be working with her

again.

The society added that rehearsals for the new show are due to begin in September, with Sanders expected to lead the cast musically as preparations gather pace over the coming months.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remains one of the best-known family musicals, featuring songs that have delighted audiences for generations and a title role that is always a major draw for theatre-goers.

The announcement is likely to build excitement among local performers and audiences alike, with the Torch Theatre once again set to host a major amateur production on its stage.

Milford Haven Amateur Operatic Society said details on how people can join the society and take part in the audition process will be released in due course.

Council and Ogi invest in future-ready connectivity

Upgrade at Bridge Innovation Centre aims to give local businesses faster, more reliable and scalable digital infrastructure

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY

COUNCIL and Welsh broadband provider Ogi have invested in a major full fibre upgrade at Pembroke Dock’s Bridge Innovation Centre, in a move aimed at supporting business growth and strengthening the county’s digital infrastructure. The project, announced under embargo until Thursday (Apr 16), replaces the site’s ageing legacy connection with a dedicated businessgrade full fibre network designed to meet the needs of modern companies. A high-capacity symmetrical core connection has been installed,

supported by a secondary fibre route to improve resilience. The upgrade is intended to give businesses based at the centre the reliability and capacity they increasingly need as standard.

Ogi engineers said that the job took around two and a half weeks, and represented a major project for the installation team.

Full fibre has also been extended throughout the building, with each office now able to access its own dedicated connection. This means businesses can increase their internet speeds as they expand, without the need for further building work or disruption.

Ogi Chief Executive Officer

Sally-Anne Skinner said: “Digital infrastructure shouldn’t be something businesses have to worry about. It needs to be dependable, flexible and ready to grow when they are. That’s exactly what we’ve put in place here.”

The new network has also been built with security and resilience in mind. Managed firewall protection, intelligent traffic management and round-theclock monitoring have been introduced to help keep services secure and performing effectively, while battery backup systems will protect critical equipment during power interruptions.

Shared spaces within the Innovation Centre have also benefited from improved connectivity, with new high-performance WiFi designed to cope with busy working days, events and collaborative use throughout the building.

Pembrokeshire County Council said the investment is about more than simply improving internet speeds. It is also intended to ensure the Bridge Innovation Centre continues to meet the changing needs of businesses at different stages of development.

Peter Lord, the council’s Principal Officer for Business Development, said: “What businesses tell us they value most is confidence. They want to know the infrastructure around them won’t limit their plans – and this investment gives them that reassurance.”

The council believes the upgrade will help strengthen Pembrokeshire’s appeal as a base for ambitious firms looking to grow sustainably while remaining rooted in the local area.

Sally-Anne added: “When the right infrastructure is already in place, it makes staying and growing locally a much easier decision. That’s how you support long-term economic growth –by giving businesses what they need from day one.”

Ogi said the installation forms part of a wider programme to support business communities across Wales through full fibre networks and managed services designed for long-term use in real working environments.

A proper Pembroke local:

Inside the warm welcome of The Old Cross Saws Inn

FAMILY-RUN pub on Main Street combines homemade food, live music, affordable rooms and a strong tradition of raising money for good causes

THE OLD CROSS SAWS INN has earned a loyal following in Pembroke by offering something that is becoming harder to find – a true local pub where community spirit still comes first.

Run by Michelle and Will, the familyrun venue on Main Street has become a popular meeting place for regulars, visitors and families alike, with customers drawn in by its friendly atmosphere, homemade food, live entertainment and genuine welcome.

Whether people are calling in for a quiet pint, gathering for a Saturday night band session, enjoying a hearty Sunday lunch or taking part in the pub’s muchloved charity bingo afternoons, the aim is always the same – to make everyone feel at home.

Karen said: “We just want people to feel welcome when they walk through the door and enjoy themselves – whether it’s for Sunday lunch, live music or just a drink with friends.”

That simple approach has helped The Old Cross Saws Inn become one of the town’s best-loved pubs, with customers regularly praising both the hospitality and the sense of belonging they find there.

One customer said: “Very friendly, everyone knew the drinks we were having after the first order. We went on a band night and had a brilliant time.”

AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

The Old Cross Saws Inn is not just a place to eat and drink. Over recent years, it has also become a hub for charity

fundraising, with the pub and its regulars raising thousands of pounds for good causes close to people’s hearts.

Among the causes supported are Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice, Greenacres Animal Rescue, Wales Air Ambulance Charity and Tan-Yard Youth Club.

In total, £3,400 has been raised for Ty Hafan, £2,000 for Greenacres Animal Rescue, £2,000 for Wales Air Ambulance Charity and £500 for Tan-Yard Youth Club.

Much of that fundraising has come through the pub’s weekly charity bingo afternoons, which have built up a devoted following and become a valued part of local life.

Held every Thursday from 1:30pm to 3:00pm, the bingo offers a relaxed and sociable afternoon out while helping to support worthwhile causes. Regulars have become known affectionately as the pub’s “amazing bingo family”, a reflection of the close-knit atmosphere that has grown around the event.

With the games wrapping up before the school run, it has also proved popular with people looking for a friendly midweek break that fits around everyday life.

LIvE MUSIC AND SPORT

Entertainment plays a big part in the pub’s appeal. Every Saturday from 8:30pm, live music helps turn the venue into a lively weekend destination, attracting a strong crowd and creating the kind of atmosphere that keeps people coming back.

For sports fans, The Old Cross Saws Inn also offers Sky Sports and TNT Sports throughout the week, along with horse racing coverage, making it a go-to spot for those wanting to catch the big game or

enjoy a drink with friends in good company.

Whether it is a packed band night, a major sporting fixture or simply a casual evening at the bar, the pub has built its reputation on offering a welcoming setting for all.

HOMEMADE FOOD WITH A LOCAL REPUTATION

Food is another big part of the attraction. The pub’s Sunday lunch, served from 12:00pm to 3:00pm, has developed a strong reputation locally for generous portions, homemade cooking and good value.

One visitor described it as: “Like your mum’s Sunday lunch – tasty, homemade and great value.”

During the week, food is served from Monday to Thursday between 2:00pm and 8:00pm. Fresh rolls and pies are also available during the day, giving customers the option of anything from a quick bite to a relaxed sit-down meal.

That focus on straightforward, satisfying pub food has become another reason why so many customers return time and again.

A GARDEN, ROOMS AND A WARM WELCOME

When the weather is kind, the southfacing beer garden offers another attraction. With umbrellas, covered seating and even an outdoor television, it provides a comfortable place to enjoy a drink in the sunshine while still keeping up with live sport.

The pub is also dog-friendly and familyfriendly, adding to its broad appeal.

For those visiting Pembroke and the

surrounding area, The Old Cross Saws Inn also offers affordable rooms, giving guests a convenient base from which to explore the town, coastline and nearby attractions.

Each room includes tea and coffee facilities, a fridge and a sink, while a microwave is available on the landing for guest use.

Its Main Street location places it around five minutes from Pembroke railway station, within walking distance of Pembroke Castle and the Millpond, and roughly fifteen minutes by car from Tenby.

A PROPER LOCAl

In an age when many pubs face growing pressures, The Old Cross Saws Inn continues to show the value of doing the basics well – good food, friendly service, strong community ties and a welcoming atmosphere.

It is a place where people can come together for entertainment, support local causes, share a meal or simply enjoy a drink among friends.

And thanks to the support of its customers, that community spirit is having an impact far beyond the bar itself, helping to raise vital funds for charities and local organisations.

For Michelle, Will and the team, that is what being a proper local pub is all about.

The Old Cross Saws Inn is at 109 Main Street, Pembroke, SA71 4DB. Charity bingo takes place every Thursday from 1:30pm to 3:00pm, while live music is held on Saturdays from 8:30pm.

Follow The Old Cross Saws Inn on Facebook for details of upcoming events, live music nights and Sunday lunch updates.

St Davids Cathedral welcomes new organ to Lady Chapel

ST DAVIDS CATHEDRAL CHOIR

has announced the installation of a new organ in the Lady Chapel at St Davids Cathedral.

The instrument, a Peter Collins EOS9 organ, has been installed by Gary Owens Organ Builders.

Sharing the news, the choir said it was delighted with the addition of the “beautiful” organ and thanked the builders for their “time, professionalism and energy” in completing the work.

The cathedral says the instrument will now be left to settle for a couple of weeks before receiving its first tuning.

Further details about the dedication of the organ and its inaugural recital are expected to be announced soon.

In the meantime, the organ is open for inspection, while the Lady Chapel is once again available for worship and private prayer.

Bloomfield Nursery gets Rotary boost with new dishwasher

BLOOMFIELD NURSERY in Narberth has received a welcome helping hand from Narberth & Whitland Rotary, after the club donated a new dishwasher to the childcare setting.

The nursery, which looks after up to 31 children under the age of five each day, has recently moved into new premises. Staff say the donation has already made a real difference to

the day-to-day running of the nursery.

The dishwasher was purchased from Vaughans in Haverfordwest and presented to nursery manager Cheryl Crowdy.

Cheryl thanked the Rotary club for its support and said the appliance was already proving invaluable.

She said: “Having this dishwasher has made a huge positive impact by saving many hours of washing up by

Narberth & Whitland Rotary said it was delighted to be able to support the nursery in such a practical way as it continues to care for young children in the community.

Call for all-weather horse-riding arena in Lamphey refused

A CALL for an all-weather horseriding arena and self-catering ‘pods’ near Pembrokeshire’s historic Lamphey Bishop’s Palace & Lamphey Court has been refused.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, James White sought permission for a 20 by 40 metre allweather turnout and horse-riding arena along with two accommodation pods at Lower Lamphey Park, The Ridgeway, Lamphey, near Pembroke.

Local Democracy Reporter

The proposed site forms part of a walled garden and agricultural land to the south of Lower Lamphey Park under 500m from Scheduled Monument, Lamphey Bishop’s Palace, Lamphey and inside the boundaries of Registered Park and Garden, Lamphey Bishop’s Palace & Lamphey Court.

The walled garden is located approximately 75m to the south of Grade-II-Listed Buildings, Barn at Upper Lamphey Barn and Grade-II*Listed Building, Four Mediaeval House at Upper Lamphey Park Farm.

The application was supported by local community council Lamphey, but Natural Resources Wales (NRW) raised concerns regarding the location of the proposal within a Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) catchment.

The council’s landscape officer –objected, saying there was an “underrepresentation of site features for the walled garden, lack of cultural appreciation of building and landscape qualities of the garden and lack of design input to the horse area”.

An officer report recommending refusal said an initial description in the application of the ‘pods’ being temporary had, by email from the applicant, being confirmed as not, being secured to the ground with waste connections, their intended use being self-catered units.

The application was refused on the grounds the pods would “result in an unjustified and harmful impact on the character and appearance of the open countryside,” and, due to the lack of a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) it is not possible to conclude that there would not be an adverse effect on the historic environment.It was also refused for reasons including insufficient information provided to conclude that increases in nutrient inputs in the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC can be ruled out, and in the absence of an appropriate habitat and protected species survey “the proposal fails to demonstrate that the development would not adversely affect protected species, thereby reducing biodiversity”.

Taberna Inn, Herbranston, cannot be turned into house

AN APPEAL against a refusal of a call to convert an ‘unviable’ former Pembrokeshire village pub to a house has been dismissed.

In a partly retrospective application refused by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in July 2025, Ms G Key, through agent Evans Banks Planning Limited, sought permission for the conversion of the former Taberna Inn and associated flat, Herbrandston Village, Milford Haven, to one residential dwelling.

A supporting statement through the agent said the property was only operated as a pub for a short time after purchase before closing.

It said the loss of the pub to the village will not be felt as strongly as elsewhere as Herbrandston has an alternative venue, Herbrandston Hub, which opened in February 2020.

Local community council Hebrandston objected to the proposal on the grounds the village has already lost amenities in recent years, with the community hub only open part-time.

The application was refused on grounds including it would “result in the unacceptable loss of an existing community facility,” and “the applicant has failed to demonstrate the potential for continued use of the facility as unviable”.

Since that refusal an appeal was

and their loss can be damaging to a local community,” adding the Taberna “constitutes a community facility”.

pandemic, she has chosen not to”.

It added: “As a result, the appellant has been unable to provide any financial information in the form of audited accounts which show the historic trading to help gauge the past performance of the premises or to demonstrate that the public house is not commercially viable.”

It went on to say the appellant’s view the pub is not a valued community asset, was contrasted by residents and the community council opposing the change of use; the Herbrandston Hub opening on a limited time basis, saying “the ability of the Hub to be classed as a viable and direct replacement to the Taberna Inn is questionable”.

It concluded: “Overall, the evidence before me is insufficiently thorough and wide ranging to constitute a solid case for the proposed development in the balance of harm to the community. As a result of this, I am not persuaded that it has been clearly demonstrated that the pub cannot become a viable business in the future.

lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) by the applicant.

The inspector, in dismissing the appeal, said planning policy recognising “that public houses can play a vital economic and social role

The inspector’s report said the purchase of the Taberna Inn in March 2020 in a “closed and condemned condition” just before the global pandemic “meant that the property was never operated as a public house, and although the appellant could have reopened the pub following the

“I also consider that it has not been demonstrated that there has been a commitment by the appellant, since purchasing the property in March 2020, to ensuring the long-term viability of the Taberna Inn as a going concern over an appropriate period.”

Sauna Uno brings coastal wellness experience to West Wales

A UNIQUE mobile sauna experience is bringing a fresh take on relaxation and wellbeing to the West Wales coast, combining traditional heat therapy with sea air, cold-water immersion and some of the region’s most dramatic views.

Sauna Uno is a custom-built mobile sauna designed to offer guests the benefits of a Nordic-style sauna experience in a striking coastal setting. Operating from selected locations in West Wales, it allows visitors to step from the warmth of a wood-fired sauna into the open air, with the option of a cold plunge or sea swim as part of the ritual.

Set against the backdrop of beaches, cliffs and Atlantic skies, the experience is built around contrast — intense heat followed by cold water, shared conversation followed by quiet reflection, and the comfort of the sauna against the raw beauty of the Pembrokeshire coastline.

DESIGNED FOR COMFORT

Inside, Sauna Uno has been carefully designed to create a welcoming and practical space for both individuals and groups. The sauna includes a spacious seating area, large viewing windows, heated changing facilities, and a selection of herbal teas, cold water and natural essential oils to enhance the experience.

The aim is to combine the health benefits of sauna use with the calming effect of the coastal environment, creating something that feels both restorative and memorable.

especially popular for group bookings, with enough space for friends, families and small parties to enjoy the experience together.

Bookings are regularly made for birthdays, private gatherings, group wellness sessions and retreatstyle coastal days out. The setting, combined with the shared nature of the sauna experience, has made it an increasingly attractive alternative to more traditional celebrations.

To encourage group celebrations, Sauna Uno is currently offering a ten per cent discount on birthday group bookings.

That offer is expected to appeal to those looking for something a little different — an occasion centred on wellbeing, the outdoors and spending quality time together rather than the usual restaurant or nightlife options.

A GROWING WELLNESS TREND

turning a sauna session into a more immersive experience.

Visitors to Sauna Uno have praised the quality of the heat, the design of the sauna and the peaceful atmosphere created by the coastal locations. Sunset sessions and winter bookings have proved particularly popular, with many describing the combination of hot sauna and cold sea air as both invigorating and deeply calming.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE COAST

By operating as a mobile unit, Sauna Uno is able to make use of carefully chosen coastal spots across West Wales, bringing the experience closer to the sea and giving guests access to some of the area’s most scenic locations.

For many, that sense of place is what sets it apart.

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

Its owners say the concept is about more than simply getting warm.

Sauna Uno is intended to offer people the chance to slow down, reconnect with nature and enjoy a moment of calm in a busy world — whether that is after a sea swim, as part of a wellness session, or simply as a social experience with friends.

POPULAR FOR GROUPS AND PRIvATE HIRE

The mobile sauna has proved

Sauna culture has grown in popularity across the UK in recent years, with more people turning to heat therapy, cold-water immersion and outdoor wellness experiences as a way to support both physical and mental health.

Regular sauna use is commonly linked to improved circulation, muscle recovery, reduced tension and stress relief. Many enthusiasts also say the combination of heat and cold helps improve mental clarity, resilience and overall wellbeing.

At coastal sites, that effect can be heightened by the surrounding landscape, fresh air and sea views,

Rather than being tucked away indoors, Sauna Uno makes the natural environment part of the experience itself — offering a way to enjoy the coast in all seasons, whether under clear skies, in the golden light of sunset, or with wild weather rolling in off the Atlantic.

With interest continuing to grow and weekend sessions often booked in advance, organisers are encouraging people to plan ahead for private hire, birthday bookings and group visits.

For bookings and enquiries, their Facebook page can also be found by searching Sauna Uno.

Crug Glas offers exclusive wedding luxury in the heart of Pembrokeshire

Private country house venue near

TUCKED away in the Pembrokeshire countryside just a short drive from St Davids, Crug Glas Country House has built a reputation as one of the area’s most exclusive wedding and events venues.

Set among peaceful rural surroundings and restored historic buildings, the venue offers couples and guests a private country house experience where they can celebrate, stay, dine and unwind in stylish surroundings.

Crug Glas is particularly well known for its exclusive-use weddings, giving couples the chance to enjoy the venue as their own for the day. From smaller, intimate ceremonies to larger celebrations, the setting offers flexibility as well as privacy, allowing each wedding to be tailored to suit the couple’s vision.

With elegant interiors, attractive outdoor spaces and dedicated areas for both ceremonies and receptions, the venue is designed to provide a smooth and relaxed flow throughout the day.

Food is also a major part of the Crug Glas experience. The kitchen focuses on high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, with menus designed to feel refined while still personal to each event. From wedding breakfasts and private dinners to other celebrations, the dining experience is regularly praised by guests as one of the highlights of the venue.

Crug Glas also hosts Sunday lunches on the last Sunday of every month, offering another chance for visitors to enjoy the setting and its food in a more informal way.

For those staying overnight, the country house offers individually

St Davids combines elegant celebrations, fine dining and countryside stays

styled rooms combining comfort with character. The accommodation is aimed at giving guests a luxurious but welcoming place to relax, whether they are part of a wedding party, attending a private event, or simply enjoying a countryside break.

While weddings remain at the heart of Crug Glas, the venue is also used for private parties, retreats, workshops and group gatherings. Its adaptable layout

and attentive service make it suitable for a wide range of events, while maintaining the same sense of quality and exclusivity.

Guests frequently praise the venue for its peaceful location, high standard of food, beautiful rooms and friendly team, with many describing their stay or event as memorable and seamless from start to finish.

Located in the heart of Pembrokeshire

but within easy reach of local towns and coastal attractions, Crug Glas offers a combination of privacy, comfort and understated luxury that continues to make it a popular choice for special occasions.

For wedding bookings, private events and accommodation enquiries, contact Crug Glas Country House directly.

BADGER’S RURAL RAMBLE

IT’’S BEEN a while since Badger wrote about rural life.

Badger likes farmers. The ones who grow arable crops attract birds, and nothing can match a fledgling or a carelessly left egg for a flavour hit. Well, apart from hedgehogs, the snack that comes equipped with its own toothpicks. Meanwhile, dairy farmers have lots of cows for Badger and his kin to get close to and cough on, and they’re remarkably messy eaters, so there’s always leftovers. Sheep have lots of young that crows and foxes prey on, and they always leave a juicy morsel for Badger to chow down upon.

Badger is also a fan of the late Welsh Government, not for its agricultural policies, but for encouraging farmers to create copses and hedgerows. These wildlife corridors offer strips of land for animals to scamper freely, while Badger waits for the unwary and weak. For Badger, a wildlife corridor is like a conveyor belt of snacks.

Thoughtful. Nom. Nom. Nom.

However, farmers have it tough - and they are having it a whole lot tougher.

The price of farm machinery fuel has gone through the roof. The key ingredients for fertiliser now cost more than ever, creating a knock-on cost for those trying to raise and grow food. Most farms, especially in remote areas of Wales, are off-grid and depend on fuel oil or LPG for heating.

Typical heating oil prices rose from around 55p–65p per litre to between £1.20 and £1.45 per litre, with some reports of £1.60+ per litre for quick deliveries. One supplier reported that UK heating oil increased by over 121% by March 8, 2026 (rising to 134.2 pl compared to 60.46 pl on February 28). Due to high volatility, some suppliers only provided prices at the point of delivery rather than in advance. The same applies to LPG.

Followers of Oswald Muesli (AKA David Paulden, AKA Hypnoboob the Magnificent Mammary Mesmerist, AKA Zack Polanski) may think that is fabulous. They hate farmers almost as much as they hate people who actually live in rural Wales and didn’t inherit enough wealth to put a derelict caravan on their land and call it a One

If farmers can’t afford to heat their homes, tend their fields and flocks, and run the machinery that makes agriculture possible, then farms will go to the wall. In addition, food prices will rise, placing basic foodstuffs beyond the reach of many families. In true Malthusian style, the economental lobby sees rapid depopulation of the Earth as the key to the world’s survival. There’s nothing a thinning of the herd won’t cure, is there?

The result: humans living under leaders like George Moonbat, Oswald Muesli, and Caroline Lucas, subsisting on reconstituted industrial foods and struggling to stay warm in eco-homes.

Badger, however, already lives underground, with all the warmth and gas needed from the communal latrine.

But there’s another side to the green dream: rewilding. In case you’d forgotten, badgers are Britain’s largest native carnivores. There’s a pyramid of predators, and, no matter

what Basil Brush says to the contrary, Badger is at its apex.

Badger is not at all keen on the idea of reintroducing wolves, lynxes, bears, or - no doubt, eventually - the bloody Tyrannosaurus Rex. Badger would rather not end his life in a bigger animal’s alimentary canal, thank you very much. There’s a natural order of things, and Badger likes things just the way they are. All this green dreamweaving disrupts the natural order.

Look at the hedgehog. There used to be loads of them. Not anymore. Not since the UK Government decided that foxes, badgers, skyrats, grey squirrels and crows needed protection. Where there was once a healthy supply of hedgehogs, even the most prudent of badgers (like Badger) finds it tough to locate the prickly little buggers.

And then the government decided it was a good idea to let mad cat people live near open country on floodplains full of cookie-cutter houses. Bloody moggies. You want

to know why the lark no longer ascends? It’s because countless songbirds descended through cats’ stomachs. Badger has often felt that Go Cat misses a vital comma.

When it comes to rural Wales, there is a far more insidious threat. Let’s suppose that the UK somehow manages to wean itself off fossil fuels and become wholly self-sufficient in “green” power. To conduct that power from the place of generation to the homes of consumers will take a lot of metal. Forget the march of wind turbines disfiguring the Welsh landscape; the march of pylons is a massive threat.

It strikes Badger as more than a little ironic that those who profess the most love for the environment are seemingly also blind to the damage that plonking thousands of metal structures and suspending tens of thousands of miles of electricity cables from them will do to the landscape. Of course, as most ecomentalists have about as much connection with the countryside as Badger does to the Artemis II mission, it’s a case of out of sight and out of mind. Solar farms pollute the water table with heavy metals and sterilise the soil. Wind turbines in the numbers needed will adversely affect either marine or land ecosystems, whether through noise pollution (detectable only by animals or lower life forms) or through their need to be concreted into place and lubricated with vast quantities of oil. Never mind the carbon cost of producing that much concrete and steel.

Badger, however, has an idea. Plonk solar panels on every roof in major cities in England. No exceptions. On top of Buckingham Palace, Edinburgh Castle, Manchester, Birmingham and every major population centre. Cover them with solar panels. Put One Planet Developments in London’s green belt or, better still, Clapham Common. Erect wind turbines in London’s parks. Let those who espouse selfless sacrifice and a ruined landscape for Wales’s rural dwellers give up something they treasure, because they sure as hell seem desperate for us to do so

Comedy in the Pavilion: Elis James at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las

COMEDIAN Elis James will take to the Pavilion stage at the National Eisteddfod for the first time this year, performing on Wednesday, August 5 as part of the festival programme. Entry to the gig is included in the Maes day ticket, and with strong roots in the area, his return promises an evening of laughter and a warm homecoming atmosphere.

Famous for making quick connections with people from across Wales on his podcast ‘Elis & John’ on BBC Sounds, Elis will no doubt receive a warm welcome at the National Eisteddfod, arguably one of the best places in the world to connect with fellow Welsh people. With his observational comedy, often inspired by his upbringing in west Wales, this is expected to be an evening full of humour, marking the halfway point of the Eisteddfod week.

Elis said: “I’m very excited. I’ve never done stand-up in the Pavilion before. Mam will be there, I’m sure other members of the family will be there too,

Richard Lewis

but don’t worry, I’m one of those people who is funny under pressure!”

Betsan Moses, the Eisteddfod’s Chief Executive, added: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Elis back home to the Garreg Las area.

“As a Welsh comedy giant, we’re looking forward to a night of humour in his company, reflecting the true spirit of the Eisteddfod.”

Elis was born in Haverfordwest and raised in Carmarthen. He’s a comedian, podcast presenter, actor and broadcaster. Since 2014, he’s presented a radio show with his friend and fellow comedian, John Robins, originally on Radio X before moving to BBC 5 Live in 2019.

Among the UK’s most popular comedians, Elis toured Wales with his show Derwydd in 2024, recording a performance at Carmarthen’s Lyric

Theatre. He has since returned to English-language stand-up after a ten-year break.

Day Maes tickets, which include admission to the gig, are available on

the Eisteddfod website. Eisteddfod Genedlaethol y Garreg Las will be held in Llantwd, north Pembrokeshire between August 1 and August 8.

Foster Wales Pembrokeshire enhances support for local foster carers

FOSTER Wales Pembrokeshire is committed to building better futures for local children, ensuring they can remain in their communities with the support of dedicated foster families.

As part of this ongoing commitment, Pembrokeshire County Council has announced an increase in foster carer allowances from April 2026.

The updated allowances are designed to better reflect the real cost of providing day-to-day care and to recognise the vital role foster carers play in children’s lives. Full details of the new rates will be shared with foster carers.

Head of Children’s Services, Chris Frey-Davies said: “Foster carers play a vital role in providing stability, care and hope for children who need it most. We want to ensure they receive the right support to carry out this life-changing work, and these enhanced allowances are an important part of that. We are incredibly proud of the difference our foster carers make in Pembrokeshire.”

Pembrokeshire is also introducing a new two-year pilot initiative offering reduced Council Tax payments for eligible foster carers. The foster carers will be contacted directly with information on how the scheme will work.

Anyone considering fostering can benefit from a wealth of local support, including access to specialist teams, dedicated social workers, strong community networks and the opportunity to help children stay close to home.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Pembrokeshire, call 01437 774650, email fptadmin@ pembrokeshire.gov.uk or visit https:// pembrokeshire.fosterwales.gov.wales/

gaming

Diablo Iv: Lord of Hatred feels like a confident, brooding continuation of the series’ dark legacy, leaning fully into the oppressive atmosphere that fans have long craved while refining the formula in ways that make it more immersive and, at times, more demanding. From the moment you step back into Sanctuary, the tone is unmistakably grim, with a world that feels less like a backdrop for action and more like a decaying, lived-in place where every ruined village and blood-soaked battlefield hints at stories you’ll never fully uncover. The expansion builds on this foundation by pushing both narrative and gameplay further into themes of corruption, obsession, and the cost of power, making the journey feel weightier than before.

Combat remains the beating heart of the experience, and it’s as satisfying as ever, striking a careful balance between accessibility and depth. Abilities feel impactful, enemy encounters are varied enough to keep you

engaged, and the constant hunt for better gear still delivers that addictive loop the series is known for. What stands out here, though, is how the expansion encourages more deliberate play; encounters can feel more punishing, and success often relies on understanding your build and adapting to increasingly hostile environments rather than simply overpowering everything in yaour path. This shift won’t appeal to everyone, but it does give the game a sharper edge that rewards patience and experimentation.

The storytelling is another area where Lord of Hatred makes its mark. Rather than relying solely on spectacle, it leans into character-driven moments and moral ambiguity, presenting figures whose motivations blur the line between villain and victim. The central themes resonate more strongly as a result, giving the narrative a sense of cohesion that sometimes felt fragmented in the base game. There’s a lingering sense of dread throughout, as if every victory comes at a cost, and that tension helps carry the experience even during quieter

stretches.

Visually, the game continues to impress with its detailed environments and moody lighting, creating a world that is as beautiful as it is unsettling. Sound design plays an equally important role, with a haunting score and subtle ambient effects that reinforce the feeling of isolation and danger. Together, these elements elevate the overall presentation, making exploration feel rewarding even when it leads to yet another grim discovery.

That said, the expansion isn’t without its shortcomings. Some players may find the pacing uneven, particularly if they’re expecting a constant stream of high-intensity moments. There are also times when the grind for gear can feel more like an obligation than a thrill, especially in the later stages where progression slows. However, these issues don’t overshadow the core strengths; they simply highlight the fine line the game walks between challenge and frustration.

Ultimately, Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred succeeds because it understands what makes the series compelling while not being afraid to evolve it. It’s darker, more deliberate, and more introspective than its predecessors in some ways, offering an experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly intense. For those willing to embrace its harsher edges, it delivers a journey that lingers long after the final battle, leaving you with the uneasy sense that in Sanctuary, true victory is always just out of reach.

Michael arrives with the weight of enormous expectation, and even before its release, it feels less like a typical biopic and more like a cultural event under intense scrutiny. Centered on one of the most iconic and controversial figures in music history, the film attempts to walk a delicate line between celebration and examination, and early impressions suggest it leans heavily into the spectacle and mythos that defined Michael Jackson’s career. visually, it appears lavish and meticulously crafted, with performances and set pieces

that aim to recreate the electrifying energy of his rise to superstardom, capturing both the scale of his fame and the precision of his artistry. The lead performance is already generating buzz for its physical transformation and commitment, hinting at a portrayal that prioritizes embodiment over interpretation, though whether it delves deeply enough into the complexities of Jackson’s personal life remains an open question.

What makes Michael particularly intriguing is not just its subject, but the narrative

choices surrounding him; biopics often struggle between honesty and reverence, and this film seems poised to spark debate about where it lands on that spectrum. There is a sense that it may focus more on the triumphs—the groundbreaking music, the cultural impact, the global adoration—while potentially softening or sidestepping the more difficult and controversial aspects that have long shadowed Jackson’s legacy. For some viewers, this could make the film feel incomplete, even if it is emotionally engaging and technically impressive. For others, especially fans, it may serve as a powerful and immersive tribute that rekindles admiration for his genius.

Ultimately, Michael looks set to be a film that generates conversation as much as it entertains, inviting audiences to reconsider a figure who has never been easy to define. Whether it succeeds as a balanced portrait or settles into a more polished, celebratory retelling will determine its lasting impact, but either way, it is unlikely to be ignored, much like the man at its center.

Tech and Taff

Roblox, age checks and the eternal problem of clever machines being a bit thick

NOW then, butt, gather round Professor Barrie Davies of Cardiff University, where the coffee is weak, the Wi-Fi is patchy, and at least three members of staff are currently pretending to understand what “the cloud” actually is.

This week in the strange and sparkly world of technology, we turn our spectacled gaze towards Roblox — that enormous digital playground where millions upon millions of youngsters spend their time building things, blowing things up, dressing like neon bananas and, apparently, confusing very expensive safety software.

Roblox, which is one of the biggest gaming platforms on Earth, has been defending its expanded age-checking system after some parents raised concerns that the technology can get a child’s age wrong. Not by a little bit either, mind. In some cases, mums and dads say children are being identified as older than they really are, which can affect what version of the platform they get and what protections are switched on.

And there, my friends, is the great modern dilemma: the machine says it knows who you are, how old you are, and what sort of digital paddling pool you should be allowed to splash around in — but sometimes the machine is talking complete nonsense.

Roblox says it is rolling out agespecific accounts called Roblox

Kids and Roblox Select. The idea, in principle, is not daft. Younger children get a stripped-back, safer version with no communication tools and only a curated set of games. Slightly older users get a bit more freedom, but still within limits. If no age check is completed, the user is placed into the most restricted version.

On paper, that sounds sensible enough. Very Welsh parentapproved, you might say. Belt, braces, and a stern look over the top of the kitchen table.

The company says its ageestimation technology, which includes facial analysis, is now used by more than half of its daily users. That is tens of millions of people, mun. According to Roblox’s chief safety officer, the system usually estimates age to within about 1.4 years either way for under-18s.

Now, I don’t want to be picky, but when dealing with children online, “about 1.4 years plus or minus” does not exactly fill one with the warm glow of total confidence. If a machine thinks a ten-year-old is nearly 12, or a 14-year-old is edging into adulthood, that is not a small clerical whoopsie. That can affect parental controls, communication access and exposure to wider content.

Still, Roblox’s argument is this: asking children their age is hardly foolproof, because plenty of them will simply type whatever birth year

gets them into the digital equivalent of the nightclub queue. Which, fair enough, is true. Children have been finding ways around rules since the first cave parent said: “Don’t go near that sabre-toothed tiger.”

The deeper issue is not whether some form of age-checking is needed. Clearly it is. The internet is not a magical fairy meadow of harmless cartoons and educational quizzes. It is a vast electronic swamp full of brilliant things, dreadful things, and people you would not trust to look after your wheelie bin.

Roblox has come under pressure after the mother of a 14-year-old girl who was groomed on the platform said more should have been done to protect children. That, of course, puts these new measures in a much more serious light. This is not just about whether little Dai from Swansea gets access to a game full of exploding dragons. This is about preventing real harm.

Roblox says it is also using signals such as the history of game creators and the nature of each experience to decide what is suitable for under-16s. That sounds impressive until you remember there are more than two million developers on the platform. Two million! Trying

to monitor that lot is like trying to supervise every school sports day in Britain with one clipboard and a headache.

Some parents say that when the system gets age checks wrong, it can be stressful and difficult to fix. Roblox says there are appeals, resets and ID verification options available, and that parents will be able to block games and manage direct messages until a child turns 16.

Again, all sensible. All welcome. But this is where old Barrie puts down his biro, looks over his halfmoon spectacles and says: if your safety system is clever enough to scan a child’s face and guess their age, it ought to be equally clever at quickly fixing mistakes without sending parents on a three-day pilgrimage through support pages and automated emails.

Professor Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics has said Roblox’s response is encouraging, but also warned there is mounting evidence the platform still poses real risks to children’s safety. Quite right too. The key question is not whether Roblox is trying harder than before. It may well be. The question is whether the protections are genuinely sufficient for a platform of this scale and influence.

Because once a platform gets this big, butt, it cannot hide behind the old excuse of “we’re doing our best.” Best is not enough when millions of children are involved. You need systems that are accurate, transparent, independently scrutinised and designed around the needs of children, not just the convenience of the company.

And let us be honest, there is always a little suspicion these days whenever big tech firms start collecting more data “for safety reasons.” People are right to ask what else that data might be used for, how it is stored, and whether age checks could quietly become another tool for profiling users commercially. Parents deserve straight answers on that.

MARGOT’S Got Money

Troubles feels like a sharp, contemporary story that knows exactly what it wants to say about modern survival, identity, and the strange economy of attention we all live in. At its center is Margot herself, a character who is messy, impulsive, and often frustrating, but never less than compelling. The series leans into her contradictions rather than smoothing them out, which gives the narrative a raw, almost uncomfortable honesty. Watching her navigate financial instability alongside the pressures of motherhood and the lure of online monetization creates a tension that runs through every episode, making even quieter moments feel

loaded with consequence.

What makes the show particularly engaging is the way it captures the absurdity and desperation of trying to “make it” in a world where traditional paths to stability feel increasingly out of reach. Margot’s decisions— especially the ones that blur moral or social boundaries— are presented without heavyhanded judgment, allowing viewers to sit in the ambiguity. There’s a dark humor threaded throughout, often surfacing in the most unexpected places, which keeps the tone from becoming overly bleak while still acknowledging the stakes. The writing has a keen awareness of how people justify their choices

HOROSCOPES

major. Someone has been desperately trying to get your attention, but you have been so busy focused on other things that you haven’t slowed down to notice them by the side of the road, trying to flag you down. They deserve a good bit of your time even if you suspect they only want to brag. The truth is they have an important message to give you.

CANCER

If you’re in the midst of a project or venture, today is the perfect time to try to wrap it up. Anything brought to completion now has a good chance of long-term success, perhaps even notoriety. If you are contemplating the start of something new, first make sure you’ve finished other projects. Try not to let things languish in the zone of the incomplete. After all, you can’t feel accomplished until you finish the final chapter.

LEO There is a lack of follow-through in your professional life. It’s obvious that no one is picking up the ball and running with it. Are you ready to get in the game and prove that you can be the MVP? If so, today is the perfect time to take control and point things where you want them to go. Your instincts are on the right path, and if you can muster up enough gusto to get you through the day you will soon be riding on a wave of genuine confidence.

VIRGO

to themselves, and it uses that to build a character who feels painfully real.

visually and stylistically, the series mirrors its themes with a kind of restless energy, shifting between intimate, almost claustrophobic moments and more performative, outwardfacing scenes that reflect Margot’s evolving public persona. This duality reinforces the central idea that identity has become something both lived and curated. The pacing occasionally lingers longer than necessary, but even those slower stretches contribute to a sense of immersion in Margot’s world, emphasizing how time itself can feel warped when you’re constantly scrambling to stay afloat.

Ultimately, Margot’s Got Money Troubles stands out because it doesn’t offer easy answers or neat resolutions. It’s less interested in redemption arcs and more focused on the ongoing, often cyclical nature of struggle. By the end, what lingers isn’t just Margot’s story, but the uncomfortable recognition of how many of her choices feel understandable, even relatable, in the current cultural landscape. It’s a series that invites reflection as much as it entertains, leaving you thinking about it long after the final scene fades.

If you have been looking for a sign that you’re making romantic progress with a certain someone, you have a choice today. You can try to read their body language and pick up on subtle signals to get a sense of what they’re thinking or you can walk up to them, smile, and ask. This direct confrontation might not fit your style, but why not? There’s no reason (and no time) to beat around the bush. You have to go out and get what you want!

LIBRA

Your mind could be focused on the future today, and you’ll be able to make one quick fix that creates a much easier path for you to follow in the future. It’s usually wise to take new journeys slowly, but if you feel like putting the pedal to the metal on your latest adventure, go for it! You can always trust your own judgment, so if you’re prepared for the consequences of taking the easy way out, there’s nothing wrong with doing that.

SCORPIO

You may have some very good news coming your way. You’re about to get a seriously sweet dividend from all the karma points you’ve been accruing over the past few months. Soak up this sunny stuff as much as you can early on, because (alas) the day also offers quite a few obstacles later. Teamwork can get you over most of them, so discuss your strategies for solutions with a few close friends who have experience in the types of things you may be going through.

SAGITTARIUS

The best way to shed light on a particularly vexing situation is to open yourself up to fresh new ideas. Despite evidence to the contrary, you don’t have all the answers all the time. This is an important time to seek innovative, even uncomfortable ideas and find out what value (if any) they could add to your life. Becoming too complacent in your daily routine won’t lead you forward into a larger awareness. It will narrow your focus until everything is vague.

CAPRICORN

Everyone has two sides to their personality (at least), so today if someone is getting on your nerves, focus on the part of their personality that you can get along with much more peacefully. Separating the good parts of people from the bad will enable you to make stronger alliances and not get caught up in petty emotional soap operas. If you’re forced into intense collaborations with some of these annoying folks, make sure you keep a level head.

AQUARIUS Today, your vision is crystal clear and as sharp as a raptor’s. You will be able to see all the aspects of whatever is in front of you. Consequently, this is a great day to make any big decisions, whether at home or at work. You will be

Welcome to Wrexham renewed for three more seasons

THE HIT football documentary

Welcome to Wrexham has been renewed for a further three seasons, extending the story of the Welsh club’s extraordinary revival under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The series, which first aired in 2022, has followed Wrexham AFC’s transformation since the two actors bought the club for £2 million in February 2021. Since then, the team has secured three successive promotions, climbing from the National League to the Championship.

From the beginning, Reynolds and McElhenney made no secret of their ambition to take Wrexham all the way to the Premier League. With the club now just one division below the

top flight, that goal is looking more realistic than ever.

Reynolds announced the latest

renewal news to his huge Instagram following, telling fans that season five will premiere on May 14 and

confirming that the programme has been commissioned for three more runs.

The documentary, produced by FX and available in the UK on Disney+, has proved a major success with audiences and critics alike. It has won 10 Emmy Awards as well as two Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

Wrexham’s rise has become one of the most talked-about stories in British football, with the documentary helping to bring global attention to the club and the city itself.

Last year, manager Phil Parkinson said the presence of Reynolds and McElhenney at the club had helped lift the whole atmosphere around the place, underlining the impact they have had both on and off the pitch.

Tenby Poundland Royal Gatehouse gaming lounge approved

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Matthew Mileson of Newportbased MB Games Ltd, sought permission for a change of use of the former Gatehouse (Playhouse) Cinema, with its Grade-II-listed front façade, most recently used as a Poundland store to a retro gaming lounge.

A supporting statement for the change of use scheme through agent Asbri Planning Ltd said: “The proposed retro gaming lounge will be inviting to all ages, including families, groups and individuals with no age restriction. The applicant has several similar premises across other parts of the UK and operates under a successful business model.

“This includes a fee being payable to enter the premises which thereby grants access to unlimited game time to all consoles/arcade machines. There will be no slot or coin-based reward games, so the proposal

would not be considered/classed as gambling. The site will provide snacks and drinks (including alcohol) which will be canned/bottled drinks.

“The sale of such drinks would be ancillary to the overall function of the premises, and a separate alcohol licence will be submitted, accordingly.”

It proposes opening hours of 1010, Sunday to Thursday, and to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tenby Town Council recommended approval despite concern at the loss of retail, but agreed it would be a welcome amenity to the town as a wet weather and family entertainment venue.

Tenby Civic Society had asked for a simpler form of lettering on external signage, and also raised concerns including the loss of retail space potential noise levels from gaming equipment.

Two objections from the public were also received, raising concerns including a potential impact on residential amenity and the principle of the change of use.

An officer report recommending approval said it was “widely recognised that the role of traditional retail is evolving, and that many town centres are facing challenges to their vitality and viability,” adding: “In this context, the proposed retro gaming arcade offers an experience-led use that can operate in all weather conditions, helping attract visitors to the retail area throughout the year. The development would therefore contribute positively to footfall, activity and the overall vibrancy of the town centre, in line with national planning policy objectives.”

Of the potential impact on neighbours, it said the noise would be contained within the building, controlled by “door closures which should be in operation at all times and maintained to ensure that the doors cannot be left open for any significant length of time”.

The proposal, along with related signage applications, was conditionally approved by Park officers.

Prior to being a Poundland, the site was the Royal Playhouse, which had its final curtain in early 2011 after running for nearly a century.

The cinema had been doing poor business after the opening of a multiplex in Carmarthen; in late 2010 the opening night of the-then latest Harry Potter blockbuster only attracted an audience of 12 people.

Why Pembrokeshire should back darc

THIS is not the time to turn our backs on jobs, security and our proud defence heritage

PEMBROKESHIRE is once again being asked a simple question: do we want to be a county that helps shape Britain’s future, or one that says no to opportunity when it matters most?

The growing row over the proposed DARC project at Brawdy has generated more heat than light in recent days. With Eluned Morgan now calling for the scheme to be paused because of Donald Trump, and campaigners demanding it be scrapped altogether, it is worth stepping back from the noise and looking at what is really at stake.

Of course people are right to be alarmed by some of Trump’s behaviour. His rhetoric, his antics, and his bizarre attempts to wrap politics in religious theatre deserve criticism, ridicule even. If politicians want to condemn that kind of behaviour, fair enough. But serious decisions about Pembrokeshire’s future cannot be based on one man’s latest stunt.

Trump will not be President forever. By the time DARC is fully built, operational and delivering benefits, he will almost certainly be long gone. To throw away a major long-term opportunity for Pembrokeshire because of short-term panic over a single US President would be a serious mistake. What is being proposed at Brawdy is not some passing political gimmick. It is a major defence and infrastructure

project that would help secure the future of an existing military base, create jobs during construction, support permanent roles once operational, and ensure Pembrokeshire continues to play a serious role in national security.

THAT MATTERS.

For this county, DARC is not an abstract foreign policy argument. It is a chance to protect the long-term future of a strategic site that has served Britain for decades. It is a chance to keep Brawdy alive, relevant and useful in a changing world, rather than letting it slowly drift into uncertainty and decline. It is also a jobs issue, however much opponents try to talk that down. Construction work means contracts, wages and money circulating in the local economy. Once complete, the site would still need to be run, maintained, secured and supported. In a county where stable, skilled jobs are never to be sniffed at, that should matter to every sensible politician.

And then there is the wider issue of safety.

We are living in a more unstable world. Space is no longer some distant science-fiction sideshow. It is central to communications, intelligence, navigation and defence. Any country that cannot see what is happening above it is leaving itself dangerously exposed. Supporting DARC is not warmongering. It is common sense. It is about readiness, awareness

and protecting the systems modern life now depends on.

Much of the argument against the project has been emotional. We hear a great deal about appearance, about symbolism, about fears of what the radar might represent. But leadership means weighing those concerns against reality. Pembrokeshire cannot afford to reject every major development on the basis that change makes people uncomfortable.

There is an uncomfortable truth here for DARC’s opponents. Protecting Pembrokeshire is not just about preserving a postcard view. It is also about protecting livelihoods, maintaining strategic assets, and making sure this county does not become a beautiful but economically sidelined corner of Wales where every serious opportunity is driven away.

A live military base with a renewed purpose is better than a fading one with none.

A project that brings jobs, investment and national relevance is better than managed decline dressed up as moral virtue.

And a serious defence asset in west Wales is better than the slow erosion of infrastructure while politicians pretend symbolism pays wages.

This newspaper understands why people care deeply about Pembrokeshire’s landscape and identity. So do we. But we also understand that counties survive by adapting, by staying

useful, and by having the confidence to back projects that serve both local and national interests.

DARC DOES ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

It would bring construction jobs. It would help sustain long-term operational roles. It would preserve the use of an important military base. And it would place Pembrokeshire at the heart of a serious national security project at a time when the world is becoming less safe, not more.

What Pembrokeshire needs now is not panic, hedging, or election-time theatrics. It needs backbone.

If politicians want to criticise Donald Trump, they are welcome to do so. But they should not use him as an excuse to duck a decision that could benefit Pembrokeshire for decades to come.

TRUMP IS TEMPORARY

The opportunity for Pembrokeshire is not.

Keep your turbines off our wild hills

SKWARK! Alright me lovers, Stephen Seagull ’ere, perched on me favourite rusty bollard down Milford Docks. The tide’s sloshing in, the fishing boats are creaking, and I’ve just finished nicking a half-eaten pasty off some tourist who weren’t watching his chips closely enough. Squawk! Now then, I’ve been flapping round the news this week, and I’ve got meself

properly riled. There’s this posh fella, Simon Jenkins, writing about them enormous wind turbine plans up in the Cambrian Mountains. And you know what? For once, I reckon the humans might actually be half-right. Because those great metal monsters are set to blight one of the last truly wild parts of Wales. And for what? So the rest of the UK can keep their lights on while we get

the view ruined?

Listen ’ere. The Cambrians are proper wilderness. Bigger and wilder than the Brecon Beacons, emptier than a chip wrapper after a gull mob’s had at it. Hardly any roads, hardly any people, just sweeping hills, open moorland and that glorious empty feeling that makes you want to soar for miles without bumping into anything but the odd buzzard. It’s the national park that never was. And now they’re talking about planting more than a hundred gigantic turbines across it.

Some of these things could be 220 or 230 metres high. That’s not a windmill, mate, that’s a spinning skyscraper. Imagine standing in Artists’ Valley, trying to enjoy the view, and instead you’re staring at some enormous whirling contraption the size of a block of flats. They’ll have to rename it Turbine Valley, or No More Sunsets Here.

And it ain’t just the turbines themselves, is it? Every one of these beasts needs a giant hole dug out and filled with thousands of tonnes of concrete. Then comes the steel, the roads, the machinery, the substations, the sheds, and mile after mile of pylons stomping across the hills like some ugly metal invasion. All that in a place where the only tracks ought to be made by sheep, foxes and the occasional rambler who’s lost his map.

No wonder groups like the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales and the Wild Wales lot are kicking off. Even the Dyfi UNESCO Biosphere could feel the impact. That’s supposed to be protected, special, treasured. Not treated like an industrial estate with better scenery.

And here’s the bit that really gets me beak twitching. Wales is already doing its bit on renewables. We’re producing serious amounts of energy already. But with schemes like this, it feels like the same old story again, don’t it? Wales takes the hit, somebody else takes the benefit. We get the scars, the noise, the lorry traffic and the spoiled horizons, while someone in London gets to feel virtuous about “green progress”. It’s got more than a whiff of them old reservoir rows about it, when Welsh valleys were drowned so English cities could turn on the tap.

Now don’t get me wrong. Even a dockside seagull can see the climate’s

gone a bit barmy. Storms are rougher, seasons feel stranger, fish move about more than they used to. Clean energy matters. Course it does. But that doesn’t mean every proposal is clever just because it’s got the word green slapped on the front.

Does it really have to be bang in the middle of our most precious wild landscape? Wind blows in plenty of other places. Put more turbines offshore. Upgrade older sites. Use brownfield land. Improve storage. Cut waste. There’s got to be better answers than carving roads and concrete into the heart of Mid Wales and calling it progress.

Even the greens seem a bit tangled up over this one, because wind power’s meant to be beyond criticism. But sacred cows still trample the garden if you let ’em. The question isn’t whether we need renewable energy. We do. The question is where, and at what cost. And when there’s hardly anyone living up there to shout for the hills, who’s speaking for the landscape itself?

Just a few handmade signs flapping in the upland wind, asking for a bit of common sense. Proper heartbreaking, that is.

Look, I’m just a seagull from Milford Docks. I spend me days nicking chips, dodging ferries and keeping one eye on the trawlers. But even I can tell when something beautiful is about to be wrecked in the name of progress. These turbines might last 20 or 25 years before they need replacing, but the damage done to the landscape won’t vanish with them. Once a wild place is industrialised, that’s it. You don’t just put the wild back in the bottle.

So come on then, Ed Miliband, the Welsh Government, all you planners and policy wallahs — have a proper think before you go charging across Mid Wales with your clipboards and grand ideas. There must be smarter ways to do this than turning our finest empty mountains into a forest of spinning metal giants.

Right, that’s me done flapping for this week. Time to see if some kind soul’s dropped a sausage roll by the dockside. Stephen Seagull, signing off from Milford Docks. Still watching from above. Still wondering why humans can never sort their mess without spoiling the best bits.

Seal pup’s 120km swim ends in rescue and release

A GREY seal pup found dehydrated and underweight on the Pembrokeshire coast after travelling around 120km from Cornwall in just four days has been released back into the wild after months of rehabilitation.

The pup, affectionately named Muse, was discovered on the rocks at St Brides Bay on December 11. Rescuers later confirmed he had been seen four days earlier at Port Gaverne in North Cornwall, meaning the young seal had completed a remarkable journey across the wild in a matter of days.

Muse was taken into care by the RSPCA and transferred to West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Taunton, Somerset, where staff nursed him back to health over the winter months.

He was released at a location in Devon on Wednesday, April 8, alongside five other rehabilitated seals.

RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Supervisor Ryan Walker said: “It was absolutely wonderful to see Muse along with the group of seals going back to where they belong.

“They had all been admitted either with injuries, were unwell or were underweight and we have spent the time needed to get them back to full health and at a weight fit for release.”

When Muse was found in Pembrokeshire, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer and Wildlife Officer Ellie West said he was

in a poor state, showing signs of dehydration, weight loss and illness.

She also noticed marks on his back similar to those used by rescuers to identify seals that have already been assessed.

After contacting British Divers Marine Life Rescue, it was confirmed he was the same pup their volunteers had checked in Cornwall on December 7.

Ellie said: “When I initially assessed him, little did I know that he had travelled such a long way in such a short time.

“When I spoke with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue they confirmed that the pup was the same one their volunteers had marked four days previously on December 7 at Port Gaverne, North Cornwall.

“However, in the four days after this, he made his way to St

Brides Bay, covering a distance of around 120km.”

She said the journey was unusually long for such a young pup and that by the time he reached Pembrokeshire he had become dehydrated, had lost more weight, was passing dark loose faeces and had ulcers in his mouth.

Muse was given immediate treatment, including tube feeds of electrolyte fluids and fish, before being taken to West Hatch.

Ryan said the pup recovered well and fed independently throughout his rehabilitation.

He said: “He’s consistently gained weight each week over the past few months showing he can compete well with the other seals for his share of the fish.

“His last weight was measured at 41.5kg – nearly

tripling in size since he was picked up on the beach.”

By Christmas Eve, Muse had increased his weight from 16kg to 19kg. He later moved to shallow outdoor pools in early January before joining the main pre-release pool with 11 other seals at the end of February.

The five other seals released alongside him had all been rescued by British Divers Marine Life Rescue. They were named Jimi Hendrix, Lewis Capaldi, Run DMC, Kate Nash and Oxford Comma, in keeping with the centre’s music-themed naming tradition this year.

The RSPCA said caring for seal pups is a lengthy and expensive process, with each animal often staying at the centre for several months. During seal season, which usually runs from September to March, the centre spends an average of £1,400 a week on fish and veterinary care.

The charity is reminding the public to keep a safe distance if they spot a seal on the beach.

Ellie said healthy seal pups are often left alone while their mothers feed at sea, but added that anyone concerned about a pup that appears distressed, injured or unwell should call for help rather than approach it.

She also warned dog owners to keep pets on leads near seal colonies, as seals are wild animals and can bite if threatened.

Additional Learning Needs support in Wales under strain

THE SYSTEM supporting children and young people with Additional Learning Needs in Wales is facing serious pressures that could threaten its long-term sustainability, according to a new report from Audit Wales.

Published on Tuesday (Apr 7), the report examines support for children and young people with Additional Learning Needs, or ALN, in the context of changes introduced under the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018.

Audit Wales said public bodies do not have a full understanding of demand, workforce capacity, skills, costs or outcomes, leaving them without the information needed for effective planning, budgeting and value-for-money assessments.

The report raises concerns about whether the current system is performing well enough to help learners achieve their full potential.

In 2024-25, 48,257 learners aged from nought to 25 were recorded as having ALN or Special Educational Needs. However, Audit Wales said that figure is incomplete and does not capture the full picture across all settings.

Available data shows the number of school learners recorded as having ALN or SEN fell by 58 per cent between 201819 and 2024-25, although the reasons for that drop are disputed.

Over the same period, the number of school learners receiving statutory support through a statement of SEN, or now an Individual Development Plan, increased by 164 per cent.

The report says spending on supporting learners with ALN has also risen significantly, adding pressure to already stretched public budgets. While Audit Wales said it could not put an exact figure on total spending, identifiable annual costs are approaching £1 billion, with the true figure likely to be higher.

Councils’ budgeted expenditure on ALN or SEN rose by 34 per cent in real terms between 2018-19 and 2025-26.

Audit Wales said its conclusions were based on evidence showing that the system lacks good enough data to understand growing demand and complexity, while patchy workforce information makes it harder to assess staffing capacity

and skills gaps. It also found that public bodies do not have a strong enough understanding of costs, raising concerns about financial sustainability.

The report adds that although the goals of the ALN system are clear, there is only limited evidence on whether it is delivering strong outcomes for learners, and that the system remains adversarial despite some signs of improvement.

Its recommendations are aimed mainly at the Welsh Government, particularly in its national leadership role, although Audit Wales said successful implementation would require action from a wide range of public bodies.

Auditor General Adrian Crompton said: “Children and young people with Additional Learning Needs include some of the most vulnerable people in society.

There has been a significant amount of work involved in efforts to reform the system for the better over recent years. However, the system remains under strain and there is still a lot more that can be done to ensure it does as well as

it can for our children and young people, both now and for future generations.”

The 2018 Act introduced a new system designed to create a more integrated, collaborative and person-centred approach to supporting learners with ALN. It extended statutory provision to learners aged nought to 25 and replaced the previous separate systems for under-16s with SEN and post-16 learners with learning difficulties or disabilities.

major part of the reform was the introduction of Individual Development Plans, which replaced both non-statutory SEN support and statutory statements of SEN. Under the new system, every learner with ALN is entitled to an IDP.

Audit Wales stressed that the figure of 48,257 learners does not include all settings for learners aged nought to 25, including further education, meaning the overall scale of need may be higher than official data suggests.

For more information, contact Rhian Jones at Audit Wales on 02920 320 575 or by email at Rhian.Jones@audit.wales

Pembrokeshire College students praised for road safety films

PEMBROKESHIRE

year’s theme focusing on the dangers of peer pressure. The films were designed to help raise awareness of road safety issues among young people across the county.

Aliyah was named overall winner for her video, Peer Pressure Doesn’t Need a Voice, and received a £100 prize.

Lecturer Denys BassettJones praised the standard of the entries and said the issue of peer pressure was a major factor in young people’s lives, making it an important theme to highlight to new drivers and their passengers.

Sally Jones, Road Safety Officer at Pembrokeshire County Council, also praised the students’ work and said the group had produced interesting and dynamic videos while rising well to the brief.

COLLEGE has praised its Creative Media learners after students produced a series of powerful short films as part of an annual road safety competition run in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council.

Noah was recognised as a runner-up for his film, Don’t Treat the Road Like a Toy, while Lily was also commended for her entry, Don’t Give in to Peer Pressure.

The project challenged learners to create short social media videos highlighting one of the main causes of serious road traffic collisions, with this

The college said the competition gave learners the chance to respond to a realworld brief while producing work with an important public safety message.

The college said projects like this continue to give learners valuable practical experience while supporting wider efforts to reduce serious collisions on local roads.

NFU Cymru meets with UK Government to highlight the impact of the war in the Middle East on Welsh farming

NFU Cymru has met with Wales Office Minister Anna McMorrin MP to discuss the ongoing impact the conflict in the Middle East is having on Welsh farmers, particularly on the cost and availability of key inputs essential for food production.

During the meeting on

Tuesday 14th April, NFU Cymru President Abi Reader and Deputy President Paul Williams presented the Minister with an overview of data collected by the union’s members representative of farming across all sectors and regions of Wales. Abi and Paul stressed that the significant

disruption in the market over the last month, especially in the price and availability of fuel and fertiliser, may not be fully understood for a few weeks or months. They emphasised that behavioural and business choices made now will not be realised until later in the year and that the decisions made

today will impact further down the line in terms of production on farm.

The officeholder team told the Minister that cashflow is a very serious concern for many farms in Wales, not least caused by rising prices but also by a lack of certainty on what farmers will be asked to pay for inputs upon delivery.

NFU Cymru President Abi Reader said: “With the Wales Office acting as our link into the heart of the UK Government, we were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Minister to provide a picture of the challenges our farmers are dealing with as a result of the impact of the war in the Middle East. We stressed the importance of continued regular dialogue between NFU Cymru and the Wales Office, for UK Government to closely and actively monitor input markets to give confidence that they are operating transparently and the need to model the impact that the conflict is having on domestic food production with a view to taking positive to support and underpin our ability to produce affordable food for the nation.”

House plan for 25-acre Felindre Farchog farmland site

PLANS for a rural enterprise dwelling to support a Pembrokeshire horticultural business are being recommended for approval despite concerns from the local community council.

In an application recommended for approval at the April meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, Southern Roots Organics/Awen Organics, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, seeks permission for a rural enterprise dwelling, track extension, and associated works at Eithin Farm, Felindre Farchog, near Nevern.

This application is being presented to the Development Management Committee as local community council Nevern has objected to the application raising material planning matters, contrary to the officer recommendation for approval.

An officer report says Eithin Farm comprises about 25 acres of agricultural land, with an additional seven acres to be rented by the applicants; the applicants running a horticultural business from the site, using multiple polytunnels and employing irrigation systems which require careful management.

The report says the business has

been trading for over three years and can support a full-time worker, meeting criteria which addresses planning for sustainable rural communities. The proposal is said to meet these requirements, and the officer’s report confirms a genuine need for the dwelling.

Nevern, in its objection, said: “The living accommodation is supposed to be part of the business, it needs to be closer to the sheds, making the whole enterprise more aesthetically pleasing. The area designated for future seasonal agricultural workers would be an areas that would be more appropriate for a traditional cottage. A restriction on the house, a tied house needs to be considered.”

Objections to the plan have also been received from members of the public raising concerns including foul water disposal and the application “has nothing to do with the new current business”.

However, a number of representations have expressed support for the application. Issues raised include the benefit of applicants living on site, helping to reduce travel and carbon emissions, and confirming support for local, small-

scale horticulture, and the contribution the business makes to the community.

The report says there is an identified need for a rural worker’s dwelling, especially due to the need to quickly respond to changes in crop conditions and potential failures in irrigation or ventilation systems.

It concludes: “The evidence submitted with this application, having been assessed by PCNPA’s Agricultural

Advisors, is sufficient to demonstrate that an essential need exists for a rural enterprise dwelling, and that the proposal meets the tests set out in [policy].

“The siting and design of the dwelling are considered acceptable with no concerns in relation to landscape impact, amenity or biodiversity. Overall, the proposal is considered to be acceptable and a recommendation to grant permission is made.”

Budget ask a key priority for NFU Cymru ahead of the Senedd elections

With three weeks to go until the 2026 Senedd election, NFU Cymru has outlined why the next Welsh Government must commit to providing a budget to support the continued sustainable growth of the food and farming sector in Wales.

In a video released today featuring NFU Cymru Deputy President Paul Williams, the union outlines why there needs to be fair funding to support Welsh agriculture, to those politicians aspiring to sit in the next Senedd and form the next Welsh Government.

Speaking from his home farm near Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley, beef producer and fifth generation farmer Mr Williams said “Welsh agriculture needs the next Welsh Government to commit to providing a ring-fenced, multiannual budget to meet not only our ambitions for the sustainable growth of the sector, but also to ensure the financial resilience of our family farms and rural communities, and to do so alongside meeting our environmental and climate change obligations.

“The agricultural support budget has not been uplifted for inflation from when it was set well over a decade ago. If we calculate for inflation, then that shows that an annual budget in excess of £500m is now needed to bring the level of agricultural support

funding to where it ought to be.

NFU Cymru believes that the bulk of this funding needs to be directed at providing stability and supporting productivity and efficiency gains on farm, and that is why the union is firmly of the view that the current 70:30 split between the universal and optional and collaborative layers of the SFS is the correct one and must be maintained.”

In addition to the inflationary uplift, NFU Cymru is calling on the next

Senedd and Welsh Government to commit to a ring-fenced, multi-annual agricultural support budget for the length of the forthcoming four-year Senedd term, a move which will offer farmers in Wales some much needed stability and certainty in an increasingly volatile and unstable world.

Mr Williams said: “By indexing the support budget to above £500m, maintaining the current 70:30 split

and committing to a ring-fenced, multi-annual budget, the next Senedd and Welsh Government can help not only secure the future of Welsh agriculture and our family farms, but also help ensure the food security of the nation through a continued supply of safe, affordable, high quality food from Wales. The union’s Growing Forward Senedd Election manifesto can be read here.”

Davies and Kurtz Warn Rising Costs and Uncertainty Are Squeezing Farmers

farm businesses.”

Samuel Kurtz added:

“Agriculture is the backbone of our rural economy, but farmers are being squeezed from all sides. Global instability is pushing up the cost of feed, fuel and fertiliser, while uncertainty around wider policies is making it even harder for farmers to plan for the future.”

Farmers explained that higher feed costs are directly impacting livestock operations, while rising fuel prices are increasing the cost of machinery, transport, and day-to-day operations. At the same time, fertiliser costs remain volatile, adding further pressure to already stretched budgets.

Paul said:

“These are not optional costs. Farmers cannot simply cut back on feed, fuel or fertiliser. On top of that, uncertainty around new schemes and regulations is creating real anxiety within the sector. Farmers need clarity and confidence, not more unpredictability.”

THE rising cost of the “three Fs” feed, fuel and fertiliser, was at the centre of discussions during a farm visit with Emyr Evans FUW Ceredigion Chair and his family at Penlanlas Isaf dairy farm in Talsarn, Ceredigion, as Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz met with local farmers to hear first-hand about the mounting pressures on the agricultural sector.

During the visit, the lead Conservative candidates for Ceredigion Penfro spoke with farmers about how global instability is driving sharp increases in input costs, placing significant strain on farm businesses and creating real uncertainty for the future.

Farmers warned that all three key inputs, feed, fuel and fertiliser, have seen sustained price pressures, with little ability for farmers to pass on those costs, leaving margins increasingly squeezed. This is being compounded by ongoing uncertainty as a result of the wider policy changes from both the UK and Welsh Labour governments, adding to concerns about long-term viability and confidence.

Paul Davies said:

“The message from farmers was clear, costs are rising across the board, but it’s the three Fs- feed, fuel and fertiliser, that are hitting hardest right now. These are essential inputs, and when their prices rise, it has an immediate and unavoidable impact on

Davies and Kurtz stressed that in response to these pressures, the Welsh Conservatives are committed to ensuring government support is both robust and well targeted, with a clear focus on food production and farm viability.

Their proposals include:

• Investing an additional £100 million into the agriculture budget over the next Senedd term

• Placing food security and productivity at the heart of the Sustainable Farming Scheme

• Taking decisive action to eradicate Bovine TB in both livestock and wildlife

• Increasing the amount of Welsh food and drink served in schools and hospitals

• Moving away from an All-Wales NVZ “farming by calendar” policy towards a more targeted, catchment-based approach

• Continuing to campaign against the Family Farm Tax

• Samuel Kurtz said:

“We need a system that recognises the real pressures farmers are under and responds accordingly. That means backing farmers through rising input costs, reducing uncertainty, and ensuring they have the confidence to invest and produce.”

Paul Davies concluded:

“Our farmers are essential to our economy, our food supply, and our rural communities. Farming needs a friend right now, and they will always have a friend in the Welsh Conservatives.”

FUW welcomes publication of Tenant Code of Practice

THE Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has welcomed the publication of the new Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for Wales, highlighting it as a step towards improving relationships and long-term sustainability within the tenanted farming sector.

The publication of the Code of Practice follows a collaborative process led by the Welsh Government and key stakeholders, including the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

Tenant farmers play a central role in Welsh agriculture, with around one third of the country’s farmland operated through formal and informal tenancy agreements. The sector provides vital opportunities for new entrants who may not have the capital or family connections to purchase land, while also enabling established farm businesses to expand flexibly. At the same time, tenancy arrangements allow landowners to retain income from their land while ensuring it remains actively farmed - supporting rural economies, communities, and the Welsh language.

The report recognises that despite its importance, the tenanted sector can face challenges around communication, transparency, and fairness between landlords and tenants. In response, the Code of Practice sets

out a voluntary framework aimed at fostering stronger, more constructive working relationships across the sector.

At its core, the Code is built on three key principles: clarity, communication and mutual respect. It emphasises the need for open dialogue, clearly defined expectations, and a collaborative approach to resolving issues, while recognising that landlords and tenants may have different but legitimate interests.

The report makes a series of recommendations covering all stages of a tenancy. These include ensuring transparency and full disclosure when offering tenancies, encouraging early and constructive discussions on rent reviews and renewals, and promoting regular engagement between landlords and tenants throughout the life of an agreement. It also highlights the importance of agreeing and documenting responsibilities for repairs, improvements, and investment, as well as supporting tenant access to diversification and environmental schemes where appropriate.

In addition, the Code encourages both parties to address disputes in a timely and proportionate manner, making use of mediation and alternative dispute resolution where possible to reduce costs and maintain relationships. Professional advisers are also

The ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East is casting a long shadow over Welsh agriculture, adding yet another layer of pressure to an industry already stretched by successive global shocks. From the aftermath of the pandemic to the repercussions of the Ukraine war, farmers have had little opportunity to regain stability before facing fresh disruption linked to the tensions in the Gulf.

expected to play a key role in promoting and upholding the principles of the Code.

While the Code does not introduce new legal obligations, it aims to raise standards of behaviour across the industry and move beyond minimum statutory requirements. By promoting fairness, transparency and cooperation, it seeks to secure a more resilient and forward-looking future for Wales’ vital tenanted farming sector.

Commenting following the publication of the report, FUW President, Ian Rickman said: “Tenant farmers play a key role in the fabric of Wales’ family farm structure, our rural communities and our wider economy. However, over the years many tenants have faced challenges in securing fair agreements, long-term stability and the confidence to invest in their businesses.

“The FUW has welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the development of this Code of Practice, and the publication of this framework represents an important step towards fostering fairer, more transparent and constructive relationships between landlords and tenants. It is vital that this helps to underpin confidence within the tenanted sector and ensures that tenant farmers can continue to thrive as an integral part of Welsh agriculture.”

compared to pre-conflict levels.

For consumers, the knock-on effect is likely to be higher food prices. With household budgets already under pressure, there is a growing risk that shoppers will turn to cheaper imported goods. This presents a serious challenge for domestic producers and risks undermining the resilience of our local food systems.

The immediate impact is being felt across society and throughout the supply chain. Rising costs are no longer confined to the farm gate, but are evident in production, transport, processing and manufacturing. For farmers, however, the consequences are particularly acute. Fertiliser prices have risen sharply, with urea now exceeding £630 per tonne and imported ammonium nitrate reaching around £530 per tonne - an increase of around 30% compared to pre-conflict levels.

At the same time, supply chains are becoming increasingly strained. Lead times of six to eight weeks are now commonplace, assuming products are available at all. This lack of certainty severely hampers forward planning in a sector where timing is critical and delays can carry lasting consequences.

Fuel costs are adding further pressure. Red diesel prices have climbed to between 120 and 140 pence per litre, effectively doubling

Looking ahead to the 2026/27 season, farmers are being asked to make critical business decisions without clear signals on how long current geopolitical tensions may persist. This uncertainty is compounded by the need for clarity on Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) rates for fertiliser ahead of its introduction in 2027.

Despite relying almost entirely on imported fertiliser products or raw ingredients for domestic fertiliser production, the UK’s position as a relatively small, demand-led fertiliser market within a competitive global industry only intensifies these challenges. Being at the end of the supply chain limits our ability to secure products at competitive prices or at the right time. Should demand weaken further this year, there is a real risk that European production could scale back, making future access even more difficult.

In this context, timely government intervention and coordinated industry support will be essential to safeguard the future of Welsh farming and the wider rural economy.

EV2 ‘First Edition’ the latest Kia eligible for the Government Electric Car Grant

Kia UK is proud to announce the Ev2 as the latest model to join the Ev3, Ev4 and Pv5 Passenger in gaining support from the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG).

From today, the Kia EV2 ‘First Edition’ is now eligible for the £1,500 ECG. The ECG replaces the £1,500 ‘Kia EV2 Reservation Saving’* that was introduced for the EV2

‘First Edition’ on 1 April, as part of Kia’s latest quarterly offers. Now, the £1,500 ECG is available for all EV2 ‘First Edition’ customer orders (retail and fleet).

The £3,750 ‘Kia EV2 Reservation Saving’* offer continues for the EV2 ‘Air’, ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’, with news on ECG eligibility for these variants to come later in the year.

This latest announcement comes just over a week after the Kia EV3 ‘Air’, EV3 ‘GT-Line’ and EV4 ‘Motion’ were named as the latest ECG-qualifying models, each receiving the Tier 2 £1,500 saving. Now, the EV2 and these models join the EV4 ‘Air’, and PV5 Passenger ‘Essential’ and ‘Plus’ grades that were Kia’s first qualifying models in December 2025.

THE KIA Ev2 ‘FIRST EDITION’

The Kia EV2 ‘First Edition’ introduces the brand’s newest electric SUV to UK customers with a high-spec, great-value package built exclusively for Europe. Powered by a 42.2kWh Standard Range battery, it delivers up to 190 miles of range (WLTP ‘combined’) and 10–80% charging in just 29 minutes.

As the first EV2 variant to reach the UK, it adds premium features including 18-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights, 8-speaker Harman Kardon® Premium Sound System, wireless charging, advanced driver assistance technologies and a 15-litre ‘frunk’ (front storage). Now qualifying for Tier 2 of the ECG, the ‘First Edition’ benefits from a £1,500 reduction on its £28,495 on-the-road price, reducing the cost to £26,995 on-the-road, with order books open now ahead of first deliveries later in 2026.

EV2 First Drive Weekend eventsKia UK has announced a nationwide series of ‘First Drive Weekend’ events, giving customers the earliest opportunity to experience the new EV2 ahead of its UK launch. Running from 16 April to 27 June 2026 across almost all 190 Kia dealers, the events offer pre-booked one-hour sessions featuring an expert walkaround and a half-hour accompanied test drive. The programme showcases the EV2’s long-range capability, spacious packaging and advanced technologies, reinforcing Kia’s leadership in accessible electrification. For more information, visit: https:// www.kia.com/uk/about/kiaelectric-experience/

Kia models with the Electric Car Grant

Kia now offers the EV2, EV3, EV4 and PV5 Passenger with the Electric Car Grant, enabling more retail and fleet customers to go electric. Each of these models are available to order now at Kia dealerships and PBV Centres across the UK.

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Enhanced batteries and vehicle-to-load lead raft of improvements for Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5

SELECTED trims in the ID.4 and ID.5 ranges are now available with batteries that have more net capacity, greater power output and longer ranges than previously.

The ID.4 Pro 4MOTION variants, for example, now offer a punchier power output of 299 PS along with

an even more generous range of up to 341 miles (WLTP combined). The batteries in sporty GTX versions for both models now have a smaller net capacity, but maintain the same potent power levels and –thanks to efficiencies elsewhere –gain a few extra miles of potential

range. What’s more, all changes to standard specification come with little or no extra cost (on-theroad recommended retail prices including vAT):

V2L and bi-directional charging among other changes

Vehicle-to-load (V2L) and bi-

directional charging capabilities are among other enhancements to the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5. When used with one of two new optional adapters, V2L turns the vehicles’ charge points into sources of electricity for other appliances, for instance when camping or using power tools.

Other changes for all ID.4 and ID.5 trims include physical buttons on steering wheels, Traffic Assist now also with Front Cross to help safeguard pedestrians and cyclists, improved One Infotainment and driver attention monitoring systems, and faster inductive phone charging – up from five to 15 Watts. Two more useful enhancements are a more efficient heat pump (optional) and, for ID.4 Pro 4MOTION variants only, an increase in the trailer load limit from 1,200 kg to 1,800 kg (braked 12 per cent).

The entry-level Pure Essential trims for both models gain larger 19-inch steel wheels, while the Pure Match trims are fitted with an electric tailgate as standard. An additional 230-volt power socket is also available as an option across both model ranges.

The ID.4 was Volkswagen’s first fully-electric SUV – and the brand’s first global electric vehicle – when it was launched in 2021. In April that year it was named World Car of the Year following input from more than 90 international motoring journalists in 24 countries. Eight trim levels are currently available in the UK: Pure Essential, Pure Match, Pro Essential, Pro Match, Pro Black Edition, Pro Match 4MOTION, Pro Black Edition 4MOTION and GTX Edition 4MOTION.

The ID.5 was launched in the UK early in 2022; it was Volkswagen’s first electric SUV-coupé and the first Volkswagen to feature USBPD (power delivery) ports. Located in the passenger area, these can be used to charge devices such as laptops with up to 45 Watts of power. Five trim levels are currently available in the UK: Pure Match, Pro Essential, Pro Match, Pro Black Edition and GTX Edition 4MOTION.

Prices for the ID.4 and ID.5 start from £36,995 (OTR RRP inc VAT). The technical specification changes being introduced mean that Volkswagen UK must now re-apply for these models to be eligible for the Government’s Electric Car Grant; qualification for this will be confirmed in due course.

See the Volkswagen.co.uk website for more details about the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5.

Plans submitted to add gym and café to ferry terminal

PLAN for a gymnasium and café occupying the majority of Pembroke Dock’s ferry terminal building have been submitted.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Lee Brookes of Westside Fitness Ltd, through agent William Beynon, seeks permission for a change of use of part of the existing ferry terminal building, Pembroke Dock to a gymnasium and café.

Details accompanying the application are currently sparse but a supporting statement dealing with a flood consequence assessment, by Francis Saint Ltd, says: “It is proposed to convert part of the existing Pembroke Dock Ferry Terminal Building (75 per cent) into a Gymnasium and café area while retaining the

remainder of the building for its current use (25 per cent).”

It adds: “The building, however, lies in a Zone 3 flood area, as shown on the Flood Maps For Planning, and shown to be potentially at risk of tidal flooding during a one-in- 200-year event, with 100 years of climate change. Francis Sant were, therefore, asked to undertake a Flood Consequence Assessment to evaluate the risk. Even with

100 years of climate change the site is not at risk of flooding from a river or from surface water, during a 1 in 1000-year event.

“In addition, the site is also not expected to be at risk from reservoir failure and the risk of ground water flooding is considered to be low.”

It goes on to say: “Located within the Haven, the site is protected from the more severe wave action. In addition, the plateaux to the north of the site would provide additional protection causing the waves to break onto the plateaux before reaching the building. Any water or spray reaching the building or the surrounding area is likely to flow back into the Haven posing a minimal risk to the development.

“As the building already exists there will be no loss of flood storage capacity, even if the building was at risk of flooding, and, as a surface water drain is already in place, there will be no increase in the rainfall runoff rate.”

The application itself, along with any further documentation, will be considered by county planners at a later date.

Call for all-weather horse-riding arena in Lamphey refused

A CALL for an all-weather horse-riding arena and self-catering ‘pods’ near Pembrokeshire’s historic Lamphey Bishop’s Palace & Lamphey Court has been refused.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, James White sought permission for a 20 by 40 metre all-weather turnout and horse-riding arena along with two accommodation pods at Lower Lamphey Park, The Ridgeway, Lamphey, near Pembroke.

The proposed site forms

part of a walled garden and agricultural land to the south of Lower Lamphey Park under 500m from Scheduled Monument, Lamphey Bishop’s Palace, Lamphey and inside the boundaries of Registered Park and Garden, Lamphey Bishop’s Palace & Lamphey Court.

The walled garden is located approximately 75m to the south of Grade-II-Listed Buildings, Barn at Upper Lamphey Barn and Grade-II*-Listed Building,

Four Mediaeval House at Upper Lamphey Park Farm.

The application was supported by local community council Lamphey, but Natural Resources Wales (NRW) raised concerns regarding the location of the proposal within a Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) catchment.

The council’s landscape officer – objected, saying there was an “under-representation of site features for the walled garden, lack of cultural appreciation of building and landscape qualities of the garden and lack of design

input to the horse area”.

An officer report recommending refusal said an initial description in the application of the ‘pods’ being temporary had, by email from the applicant, being confirmed as not, being secured to the ground with waste connections, their intended use being self-catered units.

The application was refused on the grounds the pods would “result in an unjustified and harmful impact on the character and appearance of the open countryside,” and, due to the lack of a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) it is not possible to conclude that there would not be an adverse effect on the historic environment.

It was also refused for reasons including insufficient information provided to conclude that increases in nutrient inputs in the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC can be ruled out, and in the absence of an appropriate habitat and protected species survey “the proposal fails to demonstrate that the development would not adversely affect protected species, thereby reducing biodiversity”.

Crwst bakery praised after award recognition

CRWST in Cardigan has been recognised for excellence in the Artisan Bakery of the Year category at the Welsh Café and Bakery Awards 2026.

The popular bakery shared the news with customers this week, saying the recognition was a proud moment for the business and its team.

Crwst paid tribute to its bakers, praising their hard work and consistency in producing bread and baked goods each day while also developing new products, including its croissants.

The business also thanked its loyal customers for their continued support, from those queuing up and sitting in to those taking food away and returning again and again.

In a message posted online, the team said the support of customers had played a major part in the bakery’s success.

Crwst added its thanks in Welsh, saying: “Diolch.”

The announcement was accompanied by what the bakery described as an “oldie but goldie” group photograph of the team.

Pembroke Dock Pennar housing scheme refused due to nitrates

PLANS for a housing development on the edge of Pembroke Dock have been turned down in part due to the ongoing issue of nitrates guidance which has “essentially placed a moratorium on certain types of development” in the county.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, R Keeble through

agent CFW Architects Ltd sought permission for a development of five new homes on land off Nelson Street, Pennar, Pembroke Dock.

The application was supported by Pembroke Dock Town Council’s planning committee.

In their report planning officers said the applicant has failed to provide a completed unilateral undertaking to secure the necessary contributions towards local needs affordable housing.

Welsh Water Dwr Cymru suggested a delay if approval was given: “The proposed development would drain to Pembroke Dock Waste water Treatment Works which is currently failing to comply with the 95 per cent quartile for its flow passed forward (FPF) performance.

“However, a scheme is planned for completion by December 31, 2026,” suggesting: “No buildings on the application site shall be brought into beneficial use earlier than December 31, 2026, unless the scheme at the Waste Water Treatment Works, into which the development shall drain, has been completed and written confirmation of this has been issued by the local planning authority.”

A preliminary risk assessment in respect of potential contamination has been submitted with this application, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has recommended a condition for further investigative work in the event contamination is found.

The officer report adds: “The proposed development would result in an increase in nitrogen discharges draining into the Milford Haven Inner waterbody of the Pembrokeshire

Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) where features are known to be in unfavourable condition due to current evidence of both chemical and biological failure.

“The application fails to secure appropriate mitigation and contains insufficient information to demonstrate that the proposed development would achieve nutrient neutrality for nitrogen. Accordingly, it cannot be demonstrated that the proposed development would not lead to further deterioration of water quality.

“A conclusion of no adverse effect on the integrity of the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC cannot therefore be drawn.”

The application was refused on the grounds of the local needs affordable housing contribution and the potential impact on the Milford Haven Inner waterbody of the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation.

Late last year Pembrokeshire County Council, in a letter to Welsh Government, raised the authority’s “great concern over Natural Resources Wales’ recent river nitrates guidance in relation to development, and the serious effects this is having”.

It said: “As you are aware, it has essentially placed a moratorium on certain types of development in Pembrokeshire, a situation with no quick or obvious way out.”

Tracy’s firewalk raises £528 for Withybush rheumatology unit

L ONG -serving staff member and patient took on 800°C embers to give back to service that has supported her family for years

ThA MEMBER of staff at Withybush Hospital has raised £528 for Rheumatology Services after taking part in Hywel Dda Health Charities’ firewalk challenge.

Tracy Beynon, who has worked at Withybush for 23 years and has also been a rheumatology patient for 20 years, took part in the barefoot walk across 800°C embers in October to support

the department.

She said she had always wanted to try a firewalk and jumped at the chance to do one for her local health board.

Tracy said: “Over the years, I have done some wild things to raise money for various charities, including shaving my head after a Six Nations rugby match 11 years ago.

“Rheumatology have looked after many generations of my family throughout the years, and I wanted to try and give something back to help the team and the patients they serve.

“I was stunned by how much money I raised. After I put a video on TikTok, I had a number of donations from people I have never even met. I will forever be thankful to my friends and family for supporting all of my mad fundraising ideas.”

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer for Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “A huge thank you to Tracy for showing her support to the service that has taken such good care of her for so long.

“The generous charitable donations we receive do not

replace NHS funding. Instead, they support additional items and activities outside core NHS expenditure. These small extras make a big difference, and we are so grateful for every donation we receive.”

Hywel Dda Health Charities said donations help provide added items and activities for local NHS patients and staff beyond core NHS spending.

For more information about the charity and how to support local NHS services, visit the Hywel Dda Health Charities website.

Midwives face jobs uncertainty in Wales as staffing fears deepen

NEWLY qualified midwives in Wales are facing uncertainty over whether they will be able to secure NHS jobs this summer, despite continuing concerns about pressure on maternity services and safe staffing.

The issue has opened a fresh political row over NHS workforce planning in Wales after the Royal College of Midwives Cymru warned that delays to the recruitment process, alongside a cut in training places, risk undermining the long-term sustainability of maternity care.

Health Education and Improvement Wales has confirmed that the allWales nursing and midwifery student streamlining process has been postponed from April 8 to May 11, 2026. HEIW said the delay was agreed to give health boards more time to review workforce positions, confirm and validate vacancies, and maximise the number of roles available. It added that NHS Wales organisations were dealing with a complex financial and operational position, and that fewer Band 5 roles suitable for graduates are currently available than in previous years.

In a statement published on April 8, RCM Cymru said the delay had created the possibility of fewer vacancies for newly qualified healthcare students in Wales this summer. The union said the situation exposed a worrying disconnect between the number of midwives being trained and the availability of secure and sustainable roles within NHS Wales.

Julie Richards, Director of RCM Cymru, said: “This is deeply

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

concerning, particularly at a time when maternity services in Wales are already under significant pressure. Newly qualified midwives are a vital part of the workforce – they are skilled, committed and ready to provide high-quality care to women, babies and families. The prospect of them being unable to find employment is both troubling and of great concern.”

She added: “On one hand we have national reviews and assessments highlighting the urgent need to improve staffing levels to ensure safe, equitable care. On the other, we are seeing newly qualified midwives facing uncertainty about their future employment. That simply does not add up.”

RCM Cymru also warned that the problem went beyond short-term graduate anxiety and posed a wider risk to the profession. Richards said: “We are at real risk of losing talented professionals before they have even begun their careers. Without immediate action, newly qualified midwives may be forced into non-clinical roles, insecure employment or leave the profession entirely. That would be a devastating loss for maternity services and for the women and families who rely on them.”

Those concerns build on the union’s response to the All-Wales Maternity and Neonatal Assurance Assessment, published in February, in which RCM Cymru said staffing shortages must be treated as an immediate safety issue. In that response, Richards said safe

mix.

The Welsh Conservatives have seized on the issue as part of a broader attack on Labour’s record in government and Plaid Cymru’s support for ministers. In a statement released on Friday (Apr 10), Welsh Conservative health spokesman Peter Fox said: “After years of mismanagement, we are now seeing trained paramedics, nurses, doctors and midwives being left without clear job prospects in Wales, while patients are left waiting longer for care.

“This is a clear failure of workforce planning. Instead of securing the next generation of NHS staff, Labour and Plaid Cymru are presiding over a system that risks losing them altogether.”

Fox said his party would seek to retain, recruit and train more doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and health professionals in Wales.

staffing was the foundation of safe care and called for dedicated funding, proper support for newly qualified midwives, and stronger backing for midwifery leaders.

The deeper concern for the union is that the current jobs squeeze appears to sit uneasily beside repeated official warnings about pressure in maternity care. In a letter seen by The Herald, RCM Cymru said HEIW had confirmed a delay to midwifery streamlining creating reduced employment opportunities for newly qualified midwives, and warned that a reduction in commissioned student midwife places from 224 to 144 — a fall of 36 per cent — risked future shortages from 2030 onwards.

That argument is likely to intensify scrutiny of Welsh Government policy, because in a written statement on March 9, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said ministers were maintaining £319.6 million of investment in education and training for healthcare professionals in 2026-27. He said the government had chosen a measured approach that would support a one-year stabilising position while longer-term workforce modelling was completed, adding that NHS Wales now employed more staff than at any point in its history.

However, RCM Cymru argues that a focus on vacancy data and budget pressures risks overlooking the actual demands on maternity services. In its letter, the union said financial constraints appeared to have been prioritised over a full assessment of workforce capacity, including safe staffing requirements, training commitments, maternity leave, workload, burnout, attrition and skill

The midwives issue has emerged against a wider backdrop of concern over graduate NHS recruitment in Wales. RCN Wales has already warned that up to half of newly qualified nurses could be left without a job when recruitment opens, while HEIW has acknowledged that the number of available Band 5 posts is currently lower than in previous years.

What is not yet clear is whether ministers will offer a direct response to the specific warning from RCM Cymru over newly qualified midwives. No substantive Welsh Government or Plaid Cymru comment addressing that narrow issue appeared alongside the public statements reviewed by The Herald. The most recent Welsh Government position remains its March commitment to protect healthcare training investment and its February acceptance of the recommendations of the maternity and neonatal assurance assessment.

For now, the contradiction at the heart of the row remains unresolved. Maternity services have been told they must improve staffing and safety, yet newly qualified midwives are being warned there may not be enough jobs for them in Wales.

RCM Cymru says that does not add up. HEIW says it is trying to maximise available roles in a difficult financial climate. The Welsh Conservatives say it is proof of long-term failure in workforce planning.

What happens when the streamlining process finally opens on May 11 may show whether the delay was enough to close the gap — or whether Wales is about to lose a new intake of midwives before many of them even begin their careers.

Over 500 arrests at latest Palestine Action protest

The Herald understands demonstrators from Pembrokeshire were among those in London as 523 people were detained at Trafalgar Square vigil

MORE than 500 people were arrested in Trafalgar Square on Saturday during a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action, in what campaigners say has pushed the total number of arrests linked to the group’s proscription to more than 3,300 since July 2025.

The Herald understands that a number of those attending had travelled from Wales, including some protesters from Pembrokeshire.

The Metropolitan Police said 523 people were arrested during the demonstration, where protesters staged what organisers described as a silent vigil against the war in Gaza and the use of terrorism laws against pro-Palestinian activism.

Those detained were said to range in age from 18 to 87. Among those arrested was Robert Del Naja, the Massive Attack musician and artist, who was identified by national media as being among those detained during the protest.

The latest mass arrests come amid continuing legal and political controversy

over the Government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation.

The group was banned after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in July 2025 and damaged military aircraft in protest at Britain’s support for Israel.

The proscription came into force on July 5, 2025, making it a criminal offence to belong to the group or to express support for it.

However, in February this year, the High Court ruled that the ban was unlawful. Despite that decision, the proscription remains in force while the Government pursues an appeal, which is due to be heard later this month.

That legal uncertainty has fuelled criticism of the Metropolitan Police, which had initially indicated it would not arrest people simply for holding signs while the case remained unresolved. The force later reversed that position and resumed enforcement.

The handling of Saturday’s protest has drawn further scrutiny after former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent

Dal Babu said the “optics” were “very challenging for the police” when faced with hundreds of peaceful demonstrators willing to be arrested.

Campaigners say the arrests raise serious questions about free speech, peaceful assembly and the practical enforcement of the law, particularly while the ban itself remains under appeal.

The protest was organised by Defend Our Juries, which said many of those detained were elderly or disabled and claimed the latest arrests showed the ban was becoming increasingly difficult to enforce consistently.

There was further controversy after reports that Devon and Cornwall Police did not make arrests at a similar protest in Truro on Friday, despite demonstrators there reportedly holding the same signs as those seen in London.

With the Court of Appeal due to hear the case on April 28 and 29, the latest arrests are likely to intensify pressure on both ministers and police over how far terrorism laws should be used in response to peaceful public protest.

Britain distances itself from Trump Hormuz blockade threat

UK backs freedom of navigation but will not join any US-led move to shut down the world’s most sensitive oil shipping route

BRITAIN will not take part in Donald Trump’s threatened blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, despite the US president’s claim that other countries would join the operation.

The move came after Trump announced that American forces would begin stopping vessels attempting to enter or leave the narrow but strategically vital waterway, following the collapse of peace talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy choke points, has already been heavily disrupted in recent days after Iran tightened its grip on the passage in retaliation for the US-Israel war. The confrontation has sent oil and gas prices sharply higher and raised fears of a wider economic shock.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US military would begin “blockading any and all ships” trying to use the strait. He also warned that any vessel found to have paid a toll to Iran for passage would be targeted.

He wrote that the US Navy would “seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran”, adding that no ship making such payments would have safe passage.

Trump also claimed that “other countries will be involved

with this blockade”, but it is understood the UK will not be among them.

A UK Government spokesperson said Britain continued to support freedom of navigation and wanted to see the strait reopened without further escalation.

The spokesperson said: “We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home.

“The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling.

“We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously called for “as many partners as possible” to be involved in securing a workable international response, while stressing the need to protect shipping rather than deepen the conflict.

Britain is expected to host a third round of international discussions on the crisis this week, following a virtual summit of more than 40 countries chaired by the Foreign Secretary, as well as a meeting of allied military figures.

Sir Keir has also said British mine-hunting systems are already deployed in the region.

Earlier on Sunday, the Prime

BLUE VIEW

With Samuel Kurtz

AS I write this, we are in the midst of the election campaign to choose six Senedd Members for the new Ceredigion and Sir Benfro constituency.

By now, you will have seen plenty from all the parties asking for your vote, so I will not add to the noise. Instead, I want to focus on what people are actually talking about in their daily lives.

From every conversation I have had recently, on the doorstep, in the pub, at the rugby, in the local shop, and especially while standing at the petrol pump, the same issue keeps coming up: the cost of living.

It is the main concern for people across our communities, and it is not difficult to understand why.

Minister urged Washington and Tehran to find a diplomatic path forward after 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce an agreement, leaving the already fragile twoweek ceasefire hanging by a thread.

In a Downing Street readout of Sir Keir’s call with the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, a spokeswoman said the two leaders agreed it was vital for the ceasefire to continue and for all sides to avoid further escalation.

Meanwhile, Trump stepped up his criticism of both Nato and Britain, accusing allies of failing to support offensive action against Iran and branding the military alliance “shameful”.

The US president also renewed his personal attacks on Sir Keir, once again likening him to Neville Chamberlain, the former prime minister associated with the policy of appeasement in the years before the Second World War.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said Sir Keir’s position amounted to a weak response, mocking the Prime Minister’s stance that support should come after the fighting ends.

Trump also said the Pakistan talks, involving US vice-president JD Vance, had gone well on most issues, but claimed the central dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions remained unresolved.

of the Welsh Labour Government is also under scrutiny. After 27 years in power, often supported by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, many are asking whether it has delivered the economic strength and resilience we need.

Employment rates in Wales remain below the United Kingdom average, while economic inactivity is higher than anywhere else in Great Britain.

Businesses are under pressure too. Rising business rates and the introduction of the tourism tax are hitting the hospitality sector especially hard, leaving many owners questioning how long they can continue.

Living in rural Wales, we often feel these pressures more strongly than those in towns and cities. Public transport simply is not reliable enough for most of us, so we depend on our cars. That means every increase in fuel prices hits hard.

Many homes here are not connected to the gas grid, so when heating oil prices rise, there is no straightforward alternative. Farmers are also facing higher fertiliser and feed costs, and those increases spread through the local economy.

When households are stretched, they cut back. That is when our local shops, cafes, pubs and tourism businesses begin to feel the strain as well.

Some of this is driven by global events. Tensions and instability in key parts of the world have pushed up energy prices, affecting everything from fuel to food. With no clear resolution in sight, there is uncertainty about how long these pressures will last.

But while the causes may be beyond our control, how governments respond is not.

At a United Kingdom level, there has been significant debate about decisions on tax, energy and fuel duty. Planned changes to fuel duty later this year, for example, could make life even more expensive for drivers, something that will be felt particularly strongly in rural areas like ours.

Here in Wales, the record

All of this paints a broader picture: people are working hard, doing the right thing, and still finding it more difficult to make ends meet. The so called squeezed middle is not just a phrase, it is a reality for families across our area.

That is why whoever forms the next Welsh Government must make tackling the cost of living their top priority.

As voters, we all have a choice to make. When you head to the polls on 7 May, or complete your postal vote beforehand, it is worth considering carefully who you trust to guide Wales through what are clearly going to be challenging times.

The Welsh Conservatives have set out proposals aimed at easing these pressures, including reducing taxes, lowering business rates and supporting economic growth, with the aim of helping businesses expand and putting more money back into people’s pockets.

Whatever your political views, one thing is clear: Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion have enormous potential. From energy and agriculture to tourism, we have the foundations of a strong local economy.

But potential alone is not enough. It requires the right decisions, the right priorities, and a government that understands the pressures people are facing.

Because for many, the cost of living is not just a headline, it is a daily concern.

W ITH ANDREW LyE

data obtained by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that the number of haulage companies going insolvent has nearly doubled in the five years since Brexit, with further insolvencies expected as the EU finally prepares for the full enforcement of its Entry / Exit System (EES).

A Parliamentary question submitted by Liberal Democrat Europe Spokesperson, Al Pinkerton MP, has revealed that the number of haulage companies entering insolvency has almost doubled in the five years since Brexit (2021-2025) when compared to the five years prior (2016-2020).

These shocking figures are expected to only get worse, as haulage firms scramble to adapt to the full enforcement of the EU’s Entry/Exit System, with the Road Haulage Association stating that 80% of operators expect a decrease in business. Industry bodies have previously warned that the hit to the economy could be as high as £400 million.

The Liberal Democrats are reiterating calls for the Government to urgently secure an agreement from the EU to allow British HGV drivers to register biometric details away from the border. In a written statement published last week (26 March) on the impending full implementation of EES, the Government made no reference to ensuring additional support for hauliers.

Liberal Democrat Europe Spokesperson, Al Pinkerton MP, said:

“The Government must immediately secure an agreement with the EU to allow British hauliers to register biometric details away from the border.

“Failure to do so will

have a catastrophic impact, not only for haulage companies who are unable to survive, but also for supply chains and a subsequent increase in food and goods prices for those already facing the effects of the soaring cost of living.

“Ministers must therefore also begin negotiations with our European partners on a Customs Union. A Customs Union is the single biggest lever the Government can pull to boost business, deliver growth, and slash unnecessary Brexit bureaucracy. The Government knows this, and it’s high time they do something about it.”

Also, at Westminster, the Liberal Democrats will be calling on the Chancellor to bring forward an emergency package of support to help families hit by Trump’s war in Iran.

The party said if the government failed to act it will table its own motion to cut fuel duty by 10p immediately and seek to force a vote on it.

The move comes as the party launches their proposals for an emergency cut to fuel duty, which would save drivers £6.60 on every tank of petrol.

The package would also cut rail fares by 10% and reduce the bus fare cap to £1, paid for by the forecasted additional Treasury tax take due to higher costs reported by the Times.

Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat Leader, said:

“With energy bills, petrol prices and mortgage costs all soaring, families and businesses simply can’t wait any longer for help. The Chancellor must come forward with an emergency package to protect British families still being hit in the pocket by Trump’s idiotic war as soon as Parliament is back next week.

andrew.lye@pembslibdems.wales

Reform attacks Plaid on spending and immigration ahead of Senedd poll

REFORM UK has stepped up its attack on Plaid Cymru ahead of the Senedd election, accusing the party of making unaffordable spending promises and warning that its approach to migration would place further pressure on already stretched public services.

The criticism comes as the election campaign intensifies before polling day on Thursday, May 7, with Reform seeking to draw a sharp dividing line between itself and Plaid on both the economy and immigration.

Reform candidate Llyr Powell said Plaid was offering “fantasy economics”, pointing to analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies which said the party’s manifesto contained important question marks over how some of its commitments would be funded. The IFS warned that, with the Welsh budget already expected to be under strain, delivering Plaid’s plans could mean deeper cuts to unprotected services or increases in devolved taxes.

Mr Powell said: “This is

exactly the kind of politics people are fed up with — big promises, no plan. The independent experts are clear: Plaid’s numbers simply do not add up.

“Families across Wales are already struggling with the cost of living. The last thing they need is a government quietly hiking taxes to cover unfunded promises.”

Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas also attacked Plaid over migration, claiming the party’s stance would add to pressures on housing, schools and the NHS.

He said: “Here in Wales we have a health crisis, an education crisis and a housing crisis.

“The last thing we need is a surge in immigration adding further pressure on hospitals, schools and communities.

“Vote Reform on May 7 to stop Plaid’s immigration surge.”

Plaid Cymru, however, has presented its manifesto as a programme for “real hope for the future of Wales”, with Rhun

ap Iorwerth saying the party is offering renewal, practical action and a new direction for the country.

The party’s platform focuses heavily on health, childcare, education and economic development, arguing that Wales needs new leadership, new energy and new ideas after years of Labour-led government.

On migration, the wider Welsh Government position has been that international recruitment remains necessary in some sectors. Ministers have previously said that while domestic skills investment remains vital, international recruitment is still an important part of workforce strategy in the short to medium term.

That means the issue is likely to become an increasingly prominent dividing line in the run-up to polling day, with Reform arguing for a tougher stance while Plaid and others continue to frame migration as part of a broader workforce and economic challenge facing Wales.

Eluned Morgan launches weekly public Q&As ahead of Senedd election

FIRST MINISTER Eluned Morgan has launched a new series of weekly Facebook and Instagram Live Q&A sessions, taking questions directly from the public ahead of the Senedd election on May 7.

The first session focused on health and saw the Welsh Labour candidate for Ceredigion Penfro answer questions from people across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion on issues they say matter most in their communities.

The full broadcast is now available to watch on Eluned Morgan’s Facebook page.

Speaking after the session, Baroness Morgan said: “People are telling me they want straight answers – not slogans, not spin. So that’s exactly what I’m doing.

“These weekly Q&As are about opening up the conversation, taking questions head-on and being honest about both the challenges and what we’re doing to fix them.

“Health is one of the biggest concerns I’m hearing across West Wales, so it was right to start there.”

During the live session, Eluned addressed concerns about Withybush

Hospital, saying there are no plans to close the hospital and highlighting investment in equipment, safety and local services. She also said new and expanded services are being developed in the area.

She set out how NHS responsibilities are divided in Wales, saying the Welsh Government determines overall funding and priorities, while local health boards are

responsible for day-to-day delivery.

On performance, the First Minister pointed to waiting lists falling for eight months in a row, the delivery of millions of appointments each year across the Hywel Dda area, and ongoing investment in diagnostics, cancer care and mental health support.

The Q&A also covered emergency surgery, stroke services, GP access, mental health provision and transport

to healthcare in rural communities.

Eluned said Welsh Labour’s longer-term ambition included a new hospital for West Wales and a stronger shift towards delivering more care closer to home, stressing that any future development would strengthen existing services at Withybush rather than replace them.

She also highlighted the wider recruitment pressures affecting health services across the UK and addressed local concerns about access to GP appointments, including pressures at Argyle Street Surgery.

She added: “I know people are worried. I’ve heard it on the doorstep, in communities and online.

“But we need to deal in facts, not fear. Our NHS is working incredibly hard and we are investing in it, reforming it, and planning for the future.

“And I’ll keep showing up, answering questions, and listening every week.”

Further weekly Q&A sessions will cover a range of topics, giving voters across the region the chance to raise concerns and hear directly from her ahead of polling day.

44 candidates for Ceredigion Penfro Senedd elections

44 CANDIDATES are fighting for your vote in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in the forthcoming Senedd elections.

For the May 7 elections, Wales will have 16 constituencies instead of the current 40.

Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru created the new constituencies for Wales and the Senedd will have 96 members instead of 60, each constituency electing six members.

For Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency is made up of the Ceredigion Preseli UK Parliamentary constituency and the Mid and South Pembrokeshire UK Parliamentary constituency, stretching from north of Aberystwyth to Angle in the southwest and Llanteg in the southeast. The new voting system is based on a ‘closed proportional list system’; you vote for a political party (rather than individuals) or an independent candidate, the ballot paper showing the full list of candidates in your constituency.

If a party wins enough votes, they will win one or more seats in the Senedd; if an independent candidate wins enough votes, they will win a seat in the Senedd.

Seats will reflect the percentage of votes each party or independent

Jereminovics, James Henry Purchase, Morgan Hope Phillips, Rosie O’Toole, and Kezia Autumn Hine.

Alistair Ronald Cameron, Tom Hughes, Lee Dennis Thomas John Herring, Andrew Christopher Lye, and Maggie Robinson.

One candidate Gwyn Wigley Evans is standing for Gwlad – Gall Cymru Fod Yn Well / Gwlad – Wales Can Be Better, and one, Elizabeth Davies, for Heritage Party – Keep Our Countryside Green.

Also standing as Independents are: Aaron Carey, George Alexander Chadzy, and Paul Haywood Dowson.

Several candidates are listed as: “If a candidate has been a member of any registered political party, other than the party on whose list they appear as a candidate, at any time during the period of 12 months ending on the day on which the notice of election was published (March 23, 2026).”

candidate gets.

The six Welsh Conservatives candidates are: Paul Windsor Davies, Samuel Deri Kurtz, Claire Victoria George, Brian Andrew Murphy, Gill Evans, and Claire Malaina Jones.

Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales has eight candidates: Elin Jones, Kerry Ferguson, Anna Nicholl, Cris Tomos, Colin Nosworthy, Clive Davies, Owain Jones, and Matt Adams.

Wales Green Party has six candidates: Amy Nicholass, Tomass

Reform UK also has six candidates: Susan Claire Archibald, Paul Marr, Michael Timothy Allen, Elisa Bessie Gonzalez Randall, Peter Martin John, and Bernard Holton.

Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru is fielding seven candidates: Eluned Morgan, Marc Tierney, Joshua Phillips, Margaret Greenaway, Tansaim Hussain-Gul, Luke Davies-Jones, and Peter Huw Jenkins.

Welsh Liberal Democrats have six candidates: Sandra Louise Jervis,

Those are: Eluned Morgan, Margaret Greenaway, and Tansaim HussainGul all listed under the Co-operative Party; George Alexander Chadzy listed under Advance UK and Paul Haywood Dowson under Restore Britain.

Ceredigion chief executive Eifion Evans is the Constituency Returning Officer; the May 7 polling day running from 7am-10pm.

If you’re aged 16 or over and live in Wales, you can vote in the 2026 Senedd Election.

SEND yOUR LETTERS TO: THE EDITOR, 11 HAMILTON TERRACE, MILFORD HAVEN, PEMBROKESHIRE, SA73 3AL

EMAIL US AT: editor@herald.email

Pic TUre oF The week!

After flying over Pembrokeshire this afternoon, some great

GOOD TO HEAR SOMEONE JUST SAy IT

DEAR SIR,

I do not usually write in, but I felt compelled to after hearing Eluned Morgan speak out about Donald Trump.

Like many people around here, I watch the news and can see that the world feels far from steady at the moment.

That is why it was refreshing to hear someone speak plainly and say what they really think, without dressing it up.

Too many politicians sit on the fence. They worry about who they might upset or how their words will be received. But sometimes people simply want a leader to show a bit of backbone. Credit where it is due.

It was also right to hear her say that we should not

turn our backs on innocent people caught up in conflicts in places such as Gaza, Lebanon and across the Middle East. Whatever people’s political views, suffering on that scale should never be ignored.

Keir Starmer has also done well to keep Britain from being dragged deeper into this dangerous situation, and I hope he now follows her example by speaking a little more directly. At times like these, people want leaders who are prepared to be clear and bold.

I am old enough to have seen many changes over the years, and I will be honest: I am worried by the direction things are taking and by the rise of more extreme views. That should concern all of us.

People around here are not asking for miracles. They want steadiness, common sense, and leaders who are not afraid to say what they believe. It would be good to hear more of that.

DEAR SIR,

IF we are worried about what is happening in the world and in our local communities, and we want things to improve, what can we do about it?

One answer is simple: vote on Thursday, May 7, in the Senedd elections. But how do we decide who deserves our vote if we do not already support a particular party? Are they all the same anyway?

One good way to find out is to attend a hustings. These events are free and open to everyone. They bring candidates from different parties together in one place, giving the public a chance to ask what they plan to do if elected.

We can ask candidates to make clear promises about what they will do, and even take a photograph of them with their written pledge, so they can be held to it in future if they seem to forget.

That is exactly what will be happening in Cardigan on Thursday, April 16, at the Guildhall, where a Climate and Nature Hustings will be held. The focus of the evening will be on what each party plans to do about the climate and nature crisis, and it will also be a chance for local people to make clear what matters most to them. We may well find that no, they are not all the same. There will also be free food available from 6:00pm at the start of the event. As one local resident said on hearing about the evening: “What’s not to like?”

For more information, contact WestWalesClimateCoalition@ gmail.com or call 07787 197630.

Philippa Gibson

death notices

B ETT y H OWELLS

Yn dawel yn ei chartref dydd Sadwrn Ebrill 4ydd, Dorothy Elizabeth Millicent Howells (Betty), Crundale, Hwlffordd.

Priod annwyl a ffyddlon y diweddar Islwyn, mam annwyl Anwen ac Elin, Mamgu hoffus i Erin, Cai a Rae a chwaer, modryb a mam-yng-nghyfraith ffyddlon. Gwasanaeth cyhoeddus yng Nghapel Penybont, Casblaidd ar ddydd Mercher 22ain o Ebrill am 3 o’r gloch. Blodau teulu agos yn unig. Rhoddion os dymunir, tuag at elusen ‘Paul Sartori’ trwy law Paul Jenkins a’i feibion Trefnwyr Angladdau, Feidr Castell, Abergwaun, SA65 9BB. Ffôn: 01348 873250

Peacefully at her home on Saturday 4th April, Dorothy Elizabeth Millicent (Betty) of Crundale, Haverfordwest.

Beloved and devoted wife of the late Islwyn, adored Mum to Anwen and Elin, much loved Mamgu to Erin, Cai and Rae and a devoted sister, aunt and mother-in-law.

Public service at Penybont Chapel, Wolfscastle on Wednesday 22nd April at 3pm.

Immediate family flowers only. Donations in lieu if desired, made payable to ‘Paul Sartori Foundation’ c/o Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Feidr Castell, Fishguard, SA65 9BB. Tel: 01348 873250.

B ERy L E LI z ABETH T HOMAS

Beryl passed away peacefully at the age of 89 at her home on Monday 30th March 2026 surrounded by her loving family. Much loved wife to Sidney, Mum to Stephen & Amanda, Nanny to Alice, Sophy & Chloe, Nanny Hook to Stanley, Jasper & Rowena and Mother-in-law to John & Tracey.

Her funeral will take place on Friday 17th April at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 2.30pm. Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, for the Paul Sartori Foundation can be sent c/o Mrs. Amanda Evans, Chestnut View, Deerland Road, Llangwm, Haverfordwest, SA62 4NG.

G ERALD J OSEPH W HITE

P EACEFULLY on Saturday, 28th March, at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest.

Gerald of Sheepwalk, (Nurseries) Penffordd, Clunderwen, beloved husband of

Cheryl dear father of David and James, respected father-in-law and loving grandfather.

Private Funeral Service will be held at St Mary’s Church, Bletherston for family and friends only, according to his wishes.

Enquiries to Ken Davies & Sons, Funeral Directors, Clunderwen. Phone: 01437 563319

JO yCE EVANS

T HE death occurred on Saturday 28th March 2026 at Bush House Care Home, Pembroke of Mrs. Sylvia Joyce Evans, affectionately known as Joyce, aged 94 years formerly of Cross Park, Pembroke Dock. Beloved Wife of Dai Evans. Dearly loved Mum of James and Mother-in-law to Andrea. Much loved Aunt.

The funeral service will take place on Thursday 23rd April 2026 at St. John’s Church, Pembroke Dock at 11:00am followed by interment at Llanion Cemetery, Pembroke Dock at 11:45am

There will be family flowers only with donations in lieu if desired for Age Cymru c/o E. C. Thomas and Son, Zoar Chapel Funeral Home, Llanteg, Narberth SA67 8QH (01834) 831876 and 21 Main Street, Pembroke SA71 4JS (01646) 682680 or via www. ecthomasandson.co.uk

Please kindly make cheques payable to E.C. Thomas and Son

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TLockwood handed first Six Nations start as Joyce returns for Arms Park test

WALES head coach Sean Lynn has named his side to face France in Round two of the Women’s Guinness Six Nations at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday (Apr 18).

Kate Williams will captain the team, with Lynn making two changes to the starting line-up for the visit of Les Bleues.

Scrum-half Seren Lockwood will make her first Women’s Six Nations start, while experienced three-time GB Olympian Jasmine Joyce comes in on the wing.

Wales return to Cardiff Arms Park for the game against a France side who opened their campaign with victory over Italy.

Lynn has kept faith with the same forward pack that started against Scotland. Gwenllian Pyrs, Kelsey Jones and Sisilia

Tuipulotu are named in the front row, with Jorja Aiono and Gwen Crabb continuing in the second row.

The back row sees captain Williams joined by Bethan Lewis and Bryonie King.

In the backs, Lockwood starts alongside Lleucu George at half-back, while Courtney Keight and Carys Cox are selected in midfield.

Kayleigh Powell is named at full-back, with Joyce and Seren Singleton on the wings.

Singleton made her Wales debut at the Principality Stadium last weekend.

Lynn said the performance against Scotland had shown signs of progress, but insisted there was still more work to do.

He said: “We took a real step forward as a group of

players, coaches and staff against Scotland and there was real evidence of what we have started to build.

“We still have work to do as a squad and coaches, but this is another game to hone the style of rugby we want to play.

“France are one of the best teams in the world and we know they will pose a real challenge, but this is about us delivering a performance and taking another step forward.

“We will need the same grit, determination and fight we showed against Scotland in the dying moments against France.

“The Welsh supporters had a real impact on the players and the noise they generated really pushed the team forward in the closing minutes of the Scotland game. “The supporters need to

know how important they are and how much they inspire the players, and we look forward to them doing the same against France.”

Wales Women to face France:

15 Kayleigh Powell; 14 Seren Singleton; 13 Carys Cox; 12 Courtney Keight; 11 Jasmine Joyce; 10 Lleucu George; 9 Seren Lockwood; 1 Gwenllian Pyrs; 2 Kelsey Jones; 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu; 4 Jorja Aiono; 5 Gwen Crabb; 6 Bethan Lewis; 7 Kate Williams (captain); 8 Bryonie King.

Replacements:

16 Molly Reardon, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Natalia John, 20 Branwen Metcalfe, 21 Georgia Evans, 22 Keira Bevan, 23 Hannah Dallavalle.

manderwood Pembrokeshire leagUe

Goodwick set up Senior Cup final clash with Monkton

GOODWICK UNITED booked their place in the Pembrokeshire Football League Senior Cup final on Friday night with a 4-1 victory over St Ishmaels at the Ogi Bridge Meadow.

Goodwick took a narrow lead into the break before pulling away in the second half to make sure of their place in the final, capping another strong display from the Phoenix Boys.

The win means Goodwick will now take on Monkton Swifts in the final at the Ogi Bridge Meadow on Saturday, April 25.

Monkton sealed their own place in the final earlier in the week with a 2-1 win over Neyland, setting up an eyecatching showdown between two of Pembrokeshire’s strongest sides.

With silverware now on the line, the final promises to be a big occasion at Haverfordwest County’s home ground later this month.

Wales wheelchair rugby league squad faces World Cup funding fight

THE WALES RUGBY LEAGUE Wheelchair Squad is on the brink of a historic World Cup campaign — but without urgent financial backing, some of the nation’s top athletes could miss out simply because they cannot afford to take part.

The squad needs to raise thousands of pounds to ensure every selected player can compete, starting with the Celtic Cup in Edinburgh this May — their only competitive preparation before the World Cup in Wollongong, Australia, this autumn.

At present, players and staff are being asked to self-fund their places at a cost of around £250 each.

Team manager Steve Abel has already seen talented athletes forced to withdraw in the past because of the financial burden.

He said: “It’s incredibly tough to ask athletes to pay to represent their country.

“They already give everything — their time, energy and commitment — and then face the added burden of funding their own travel and accommodation. It shouldn’t be this way. I’m determined it won’t happen again.”

Steve, who is leading Wales at a World Cup for the first time, previously officiated at four World Cups and understands better than most what it takes to compete at the highest level — and what is at stake if Wales arrive underprepared.

The Celtic Cup, featuring Wales, Ireland and Scotland, is not simply a warm-up tournament. It is the squad’s

only chance to build momentum, test combinations and head to Australia ready to compete.

Despite the financial pressure, belief inside the camp remains high.

Only 12 players will make the trip to Australia, and the squad — drawn from leading clubs including North Wales Crusaders, Leeds Rhinos, South Wales Jets, Midlands Hurricanes, Sheffield Eagles and Wigan Warriors — is determined to show Wales

belongs among the world’s best.

Blending pace, power, resilience and experience, the team believes it can make a real impact on the international stage.

Steve added: “We’re not going to Australia just to take part.

“We’ve got a hugely talented squad, experienced coaches and an incredible group of volunteers — we’re a family.

“We genuinely believe we can

compete with the world’s best and do Wales proud.”

Wheelchair rugby league is one of the fastest-growing formats in world sport, open to men and women, boys and girls, and athletes from all backgrounds. Wales has been involved since the sport’s earliest international days.

Built on passion, physicality and teamwork, it reflects the very best of Welsh pride and identity.

But with no central government funding and limited resources available to sporting bodies, the squad is relying on support from the wider public to make the dream possible.

Dawn Roberts-McCabe, volunteer for fundraising and sponsorship, said: “I’m proud to give my time to help ensure every prospective athlete can focus on training to become the best version of themselves, rather than worrying about financial barriers.

“It would break my heart if a talented player had to let their World Cup dream go because they had to choose between playing and paying.”

Businesses, sponsors and supporters across Wales are now being urged to step forward. Whether through sponsorship, donations or simply spreading the word, every contribution brings the squad one step closer to the World Cup stage — and to a moment that could inspire a generation.

To support the team or discuss sponsorship opportunities, email Dawn Roberts-McCabe at drobertsmccabe@walesrugbyleague.co.uk

Osian Pryce powers to Severn Valley Stages victory

Machynlleth driver makes winning return as British Rally Championship season gets

OSAIN PRYCE and co-driver James Morgan made a dream return to the Severn valley Stages on Saturday, storming to victory on home ground in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

Fresh from Pryce’s title success, the Welsh pairing showed their class on the gravel once again, adding another Severn Valley Stages win to the one he claimed in 2024. Locked in a fierce battle throughout the event, Pryce underlined his pace and experience to seal a memorable victory in challenging conditions.

Speaking after the win, Pryce said: “It’s so good to be back. It’s much easier coming back here with the title in hand; you can just relax and enjoy it.

“James and MEM have done a great job in getting me comfortable in this car. I think that’s been the key and, to set a fastest time for the first time out in the car, I’m more than happy with that.

“From my side, I’ve got a bit of work to do with my driving to get used to the car, but I’m very happy.”

The 51st Severn Valley Stages marked a spectacular return to the rallying calendar, acting as the curtain-raiser for the 2026 Motorsport UK British Rally Championship.

Based in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells, the popular gravel event, supported by Axon Commercial Catering Equipment, attracted almost 120 crews and featured strong entries across a range of championships, including the Fuchs British Historic Rally Championship, Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship, HRCR Stage Masters and TCS Plant Rally Series.

After a packed ceremonial start in Llandrindod Wells on Friday evening, which saw fans gather to meet drivers and collect autographs, crews faced more than 50 miles of demanding stages. The route included seven tests in total, headlined by the iconic Myherin complex and rounded off with a punishing 18-mile finale.

Weather conditions added another layer of difficulty, with sunshine giving way to snow, hail and heavy rain, leaving the forest stages treacherous and unpredictable.

Pryce was pushed all the way by fellow Welshman and team-mate Meirion Evans, with Dale Furniss alongside in another Yaris. Evans, buoyed by his recent Rally North Wales victory, kept the pressure on throughout the day and eventually secured second place.

Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop led the M-Sport Ford

underway in mid Wales

challenge in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, recovering from an early spin to complete the podium in third.

On his Severn Valley debut, Max McRae impressed with a strong fourthplace finish alongside Cammy Fair in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. The son of 1995 British Rally Championship winner Alister McRae looked capable of finishing even higher before a puncture on the fourth test checked his progress.

Scottish Rally Championship front-runner Scot MacBeth, co-driven

by Ross Whittock, rounded out the top five in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.

Elsewhere, Liam Clark and Michael Gilbey claimed victory in the Interclub category and secured top Welsh Championship points.

The historic category once again provided plenty of spectacle, with Marty McCormack entertaining fans in his BMW E30 M3. Alongside codriver Barney Mitchell, McCormack continued the car’s gravel development in style by taking back-to-back British Historic Rally

Championship victories.

Organised by Midland Manor Motor Club, the return of the Severn Valley Stages after a year’s hiatus was warmly welcomed by rally fans, who lined the forests at Sarnau and Myherin to witness the action.

The ceremonial start and finish at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells again proved a popular focal point, bringing drivers, teams and spectators together to celebrate the event’s successful comeback.

Osian Pryce powers to Severn Valley Stages victory • P81

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