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Mental health plan questioned after 19-hour police van wait
Proposed West Wales suite can take just one adult at a time as Section 136 detentions rise by almost a quarter in a year
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Business counts cost of Haverfordwest fire as arson suspect bailed
A 32-YEAR-OLD man arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire in Haverfordwest town centre has been released on bail, as a neighbouring business begins the task of recovering from the blaze. Emergency services were called to a property on Bridge Street at around 7pm on Sunday (August 16), with the road closed while the incident was safely managed. Dyfed-Powys Police said nobody was inside the property at the time of the fire and nobody was injured. A 32-year-old man from Tenby was subsequently arrested on suspicion of
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arson and taken into police custody. In an update provided to The Herald on Wednesday (August 19), police confirmed that he has now been released on bail pending further enquiries. The fire also had a significant impact on neighbouring business KJ Prints, where staff have been dealing with damaged stock and furniture in the aftermath of the incident. In an update to customers, the business described the hours following
Hakin man accused of assaulting firefighter and damaging police cell
A HAKIN man is to stand trial accused of assaulting a firefighter and damaging a police holding cell. Max Fairbairn, aged 20, of 2 Harbour Way, Hakin, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). The court register contains two emergency-worker assault charges involving firefighter Ed Smith on August 16. One charge alleges that Fairbairn assaulted Mr Smith by beating him at Hakin, while the second alleges that he committed a common assault against the firefighter at Haverfordwest. Fairbairn is also accused of damaging a holding cell at Haverfordwest Police Station on the same date. The value of the alleged damage is currently recorded as unknown.
In a separate case, Fairbairn is charged with failing, without good cause, to provide a non-intimate sample for a Class A drug test while detained at Haverfordwest Police Station on July 13. The court register does not record pleas to any of the charges. Fairbairn was released on conditional bail, with magistrates imposing a requirement that he live and sleep each night at his Harbour Way address. The condition was imposed to prevent further offending. The emergency-worker assault and criminal damage cases are listed for a two-hour trial at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on October 5. The alleged failure to provide a drugtest sample will be dealt with at a separate two-hour trial on October 19.
the fire as “emotional, overwhelming” and difficult to process. Staff said they had worked with little sleep to clear unusable stock and furniture, clean the premises and temporarily bring the operation of its two shops together under one roof. Despite the disruption, KJ Prints has stressed that it remains open and trading, with school uniform continuing to be available from its original shop. The business said: “It wasn’t easy, but we did it because giving up isn’t an option. I’ve worked too hard to build this business, and I’m determined to rebuild and make it stronger than
ever.” KJ Prints has asked supporters to help by spreading the word that the business remains open. It also thanked customers and members of the community for their messages, calls and visits following the fire, as well as firefighters for their response. The business added: “Your support has helped carry us through a very challenging time, and we’re truly grateful.” Dyfed-Powys Police said its investigation into the fire remains ongoing.
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One room for three counties: Mental health plan questioned after 19-hour police van wait Telephone: 01646 45 45 45 Fax: 01646 45 46 47 Email: editor@pembrokeshire-herald.com To advertise: sales@herald.email Facebook: thepembrokeshireherald Twitter: pembsherald Website: www.pembrokeshire-herald.com
Proposed Carmarthen suite can take just one adult at a time as Section 136 detentions rise by almost a quarter in a year
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A PLAN to provide just one dedicated room for adults detained during mental health crises across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion is facing fresh scrutiny after Hywel Dda University Health Board confirmed a second patient could be sent to A&E if the facility was already occupied. The proposed Section 136 Place of Safety at Cwm Seren in Carmarthen would accommodate only one adult at a time. That capacity is now under the spotlight following new figures showing
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Section 136 powers were used on 198 occasions across the Hywel Dda area during 2025/26 – up from 160 the previous year, an increase of almost 24%. Around 68 of last year’s cases originated in Pembrokeshire. The questions are particularly significant following previous Herald reporting which exposed what can happen when people experiencing
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Inside a police van used during the April 2025 Bronglais incident, which highlighted concerns over delays in finding suitable places of safety for people in mental health crisis. (Pic: Herald)
serious mental health crises are left waiting for appropriate care. In April 2025, The Herald photographed police vehicles outside Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth containing people awaiting mental health assistance. One patient had been detained in a police van for 19 hours. Now, documents examined by The Herald reveal that Hywel Dda’s own appraisal of the Carmarthen proposal specifically identifies the risk of the single room being unavailable when more than one Section 136 case occurs. The same assessment warns that the additional journey to Carmarthen could delay assessments for people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, potentially worsening their distress and mental health condition. The health board nevertheless says present and projected demand does not justify operating a second dedicated adult facility. What happens when the room is already occupied? The Herald asked Hywel Dda directly what would happen if another person was detained under Section 136 while the proposed Carmarthen suite was in use. The health board confirmed that the normal contingency would be to take the second person to an Emergency Department. It said: “If the suite is occupied when a further adult is detained under Section 136, the default contingency arrangement would be for the individual to be taken to an Emergency Department as an alternative Place of Safety. “Other Places of Safety, as defined under the Mental Health Act, may also be considered where appropriate to the individual’s needs and circumstances.” The board added that current activity did not indicate a requirement for more than one dedicated adult Place of Safety and said demand would continue to be monitored. But that position sits alongside warnings contained within the health board’s own options appraisal. The assessment states that a single Carmarthen suite has capacity for only one person and identifies a resulting risk to service delivery and business continuity if two cases arise at the same time. The health board’s Section 136 procedure also states that where a health-based Place of Safety is unavailable, police officers may be
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required to wait until the suite becomes vacant and staff are able to receive the person. It says police vehicles should only be used where they are considered the most appropriate means of transport, such as where a person is or has been violent. It is the combination of those provisions which raises questions over whether the new model is sufficiently resilient when two mental health emergencies occur at once. Detentions rise from 160 to 198 The latest figures also show demand has increased substantially. In 2024/25, Section 136 was used on 160 occasions across the health board area. At that time, 43% of cases originated in Carmarthenshire, 28% in Pembrokeshire, 21% in Ceredigion and 8% involved people from outside the area. Hywel Dda has now told The Herald that there were 198 detentions during 2025/26. Of those, approximately 77 were from Carmarthenshire, around 68 from Pembrokeshire and around 32 from Ceredigion, with the remainder involving people from outside the Hywel Dda area. That means overall Section 136 use rose by almost 24% in a single year, while Pembrokeshire’s share increased from 28% to 34%. The previous year’s figures and the temporary closure of facilities in Haverfordwest and Aberystwyth are recorded in Hywel Dda’s own board papers. Section 136 of the Mental Health Act allows a police officer to remove a person who appears to be experiencing a mental disorder and to be in immediate need of care or control from a public place to a designated Place of Safety. The purpose is to allow an urgent assessment by mental health professionals and determine what treatment or support is required. For the person involved, it can represent one of the most vulnerable and distressing periods of their life. Health board’s own
Campaigners have repeatedly raised concerns about the treatment of people detained during mental health emergencies and the availability of suitable crisis facilities. (Pic: Natasha Hirst) assessment identifies Pembrokeshire risk Hywel Dda’s appraisal does not simply acknowledge that Pembrokeshire residents would have further to travel. It formally identifies the proposed single Carmarthen site as presenting a quality and safety risk for patients in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion because of potential delays caused by travelling to the facility. The assessment says delayed intervention could exacerbate a person’s mental health condition and result in greater distress and anxiety. It separately identifies increased travel time, staff resource time and costs for police and local authorities in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion as risks to the sustainability of the service. Despite this, when The Herald asked for the actual journey-time calculations used in reaching its decision, the health board did not provide them. We specifically asked for assessments from Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, Tenby, Fishguard, St Davids and the Dale and Angle peninsulas. Hywel Dda replied only that “an assessment of travel implications has
Mental health campaigners calling for improvements to crisis care and greater protection for people detained under emergency powers. (Pic: File/Herald)
been undertaken as part of the options appraisal process”. Asked for the longest estimated journey from Pembrokeshire, including any potential wait for suitable health transport, it said journey times would vary according to the person’s location and operational factors. People detained under Section 136 would generally be taken to the Place
of Safety by police or ambulance. Own procedure says home county is preferable There is another apparent tension within the health board’s own documentation. A Section 136 procedure presented to Hywel Dda’s Mental Health Legislation
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The health board said the engagement was on the preferred option of locating the adult Section 136 Place of Safety at Cwm Seren. It said people would be invited to explain how they would be affected by the proposed move from Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli. Staffing funding now secured
Committee in March states that a person experiencing a mental health crisis should be taken to the Place of Safety which best meets their needs. It adds that where patients are known to their local mental health team, keeping them within their home county for assessment is preferable. The same document lists Bro Cerwyn, Fishguard Road, Haverfordwest, as a community Place of Safety. However, separate health board papers state that the Haverfordwest facility is temporarily closed because of staffing concerns. They reveal that Hywel Dda historically provided Section 136 facilities in all three counties – at Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire and Aberystwyth in Ceredigion. The Haverfordwest and Aberystwyth facilities were subsequently closed, with the board citing problems with the suitability of the locations and what it described as an “unsafe staffing resource”. Since the pandemic, dedicated adult provision has effectively been centralised at Bryngofal Ward at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli. The proposed Cwm Seren facility would therefore not remove an adult Section 136 suite which is currently operating in Pembrokeshire. Instead, it would relocate the health board’s current single dedicated adult facility from Llanelli to Carmarthen – geographically closer to Pembrokeshire but still leaving three counties reliant on one dedicated room. Two-site model rejected The Herald asked why Hywel Dda had not pursued a two-site model, particularly given that around onethird of the most recent detentions originated in Pembrokeshire. The health board said having more
than one dedicated facility had been considered. It said: “Current and projected Section 136 activity levels do not support the need for a two-site model across the Health Board. “Establishing and maintaining two dedicated facilities would require a staffing establishment capable of safely supporting both sites, which would not be a viable or proportionate use of resources given the level of activity.” The board said concentrating specialist staff and resources in one facility would provide a more sustainable service. But its own figures now show Section 136 use increased from 160 to 198 occasions between 2024/25 and 2025/26. How will people get home? The Herald also asked what happens to a Pembrokeshire resident who is taken to Carmarthen, assessed and then found not to require admission. The health board said arrangements would be considered individually. Options include collection by relatives or friends, St John Ambulance, health board vehicles or staff and, where appropriate, taxis. However, the St John Ambulance service identified for this purpose operates between 10am and 10pm rather than around the clock. Hywel Dda said other options would ensure patients could return home safely outside those hours. The St John service has no specific response-time standard for Section 136 patients. Asked whether its capacity to serve remote parts of west Pembrokeshire had been assessed, the health board said it had identified no issues and that current experience indicated transport needs could be accommodated
throughout the area. The Herald also asked how many of the 198 people detained last year were discharged following assessment rather than admitted to hospital, and how many subsequently required assistance to travel home. Hywel Dda said it was unable to provide those figures in the time available and advised The Herald to submit a Freedom of Information request. Public engagement approved Hywel Dda’s board approved an eight-week engagement process on the preferred Carmarthen model at its July 30 meeting. There had been conflicting dates in health board documents, with September 1 and September 2 both previously given as the launch. Hywel Dda has now clarified that September 1 was intended as a target date but, because it follows the August bank holiday, the engagement will instead begin during the first week of September and run for eight weeks. No specific programme of open public meetings in Pembrokeshire has been announced. The health board said organisations supporting people with lived experience had advised it to engage with those individuals in familiar and safe settings. A bilingual survey will be available online and on paper, while groups and communities can contact the engagement team if they wish to arrange a meeting. The Herald also asked whether residents would be able to put forward completely different models – including restoring county-based provision or maintaining two facilities – rather than merely commenting on how the preferred Carmarthen proposal could be mitigated.
Earlier options documents also raised questions over how the facility would be staffed. An appraisal identified the absence of a staffing budget as a risk. Hywel Dda says that position has since changed following a workforce stabilisation programme and that a funded staffing establishment is now available for one adult Section 136 suite. Earlier documents estimated the firstyear cost at £565,787, consisting of £135,617 in capital expenditure and £430,170 in recurrent staffing costs. The health board has not confirmed those figures as the final cost. It says recurrent staffing has now been identified within financial plans and capital funding is available for the work required at Cwm Seren, with final expenditure dependent on the eventual implementation plan. Some of the most difficult moments of their lives’ Andrew Carruthers, Chief Operating Officer at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “People who are detained under Section 136 are often experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and it is essential that we provide a safe, supportive environment where they can receive timely assessment. “The work undertaken with our partners has carefully considered a range of options for the future provision of this service. “The preferred option at Hafan Derwen has been identified because it offers the strongest benefits in terms of patient safety, clinical support and sustainability. “No decisions have yet been made. Subject to Board approval, we will want to hear from staff, people with lived experience, carers, partner organisations and members of the public before any final decision is considered. Their feedback will be an important part of the process.” The board has now approved that engagement process. Feedback will be considered before a final report and recommendation is presented to board members, currently expected in January 2027. Until then, one central question remains at the heart of the proposal: whether a single room is enough to provide a safe and resilient crisis service for almost 400,000 people spread across three of the most geographically challenging counties in Wales.
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Pembroke Dock drink-driver with breath reading of 120 sentenced A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been sentenced after driving with 120 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. Ronan Scarlett, aged 34, of 96 Gwyther Street, Pembroke Dock, had previously admitted driving a black Volvo in Gwyther Street on June 22 while over the prescribed alcohol limit. Scarlett entered his guilty plea on July 28 and returned to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Tuesday (Aug 18). Magistrates imposed an 18-month community order, which will run until February 17, 2028. The order includes 150 hours of unpaid work and up to ten days of rehabilitation activity under the direction of his probation officer.
Scarlett must also abstain from consuming alcohol for 60 days, until October 16, and will be electronically monitored. He was ordered to remain at his Gwyther Street address between 5:00pm and midnight until August 20 and to cooperate with reasonable instructions while the monitoring equipment was installed. Scarlett was disqualified from driving for 29 months. The ban may be reduced by 29 weeks if he completes an approved rehabilitation course by April 7, 2028. The court confirmed that his period of disqualification began with the interim ban imposed on July 28. Scarlett must pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. The court ordered him to pay at a rate of £25 a month, beginning on September 14.
Hook drink-driver handed 40-month road ban A HOOK man has been disqualified from driving for 40 months after admitting driving while over the alcohol limit. Kieran Gover, aged 30, of 7 Ormond House, New Road, Hook, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Gover admitted driving a Volkswagen Golf on the A487 at Roch on August 2 after consuming alcohol. An evidential breath test produced a reading of 73 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, which will remain in
force until August 17, 2027. The order requires Gover to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. He must also undertake up to ten days of rehabilitation activity as directed by the officer responsible for supervising him. Gover was disqualified from driving for 40 months. He was ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. The court made a collection order and authorised deductions from his benefits. Magistrates confirmed that Gover’s guilty plea had been taken into account when determining the sentence.
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Brian Underwood sentenced: Why no jail was imposed after protests and public fury
Milford Haven man’s conviction concerned one Category C image, but the case triggered protests, criminal damage, dispersal orders, arrests and a fierce argument about sentencing The sentence imposed
A MILFORD HAVEN man whose conviction for possessing a single Category C indecent image of a child prompted days of protests and widespread disorder has been given a two-year community order. Brian Underwood, aged 36, of Howarth Close, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Tuesday (Aug 18). He had previously pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child. Underwood was not sent to prison. That decision has generated an angry reaction, with numerous people claiming that he has “got away with it” and questioning why an offence involving an indecent image of a child did not result in immediate custody. However, the sentence imposed was within the national guideline for possession of Category C material, where the official starting point is a highlevel community order. What was proved in court The case before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court concerned one Category C image found on Underwood’s mobile phone. Category C is the least serious of the three classifications used by the courts for indecent images of children. It covers material which does not fall within Category A, involving penetrative sexual activity, sadism or sexual activity
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with an animal, or Category B, involving non-penetrative sexual activity. Possession of Category C material remains a serious criminal offence. At an earlier hearing, Crown prosecutor Sian Vaughan said police had received information concerning material allegedly posted on social media. She referred to an explicit image of Underwood combined with computergenerated images of children and alleged that he had attempted to sell or exchange images involving young children. However, the official court register recorded one possession charge involving one Category C image. Underwood was not convicted of producing or distributing indecent images, and the allegations referred to by the prosecutor did not result in additional charges recorded against him. The court could sentence him only for the possession offence which he admitted. Underwood’s solicitor, Michael Kelleher, told the earlier hearing: “Only one picture was found and absolutely nothing else.” He added that there was no evidence of Underwood having sexual communication with children.
Magistrates imposed a community order lasting until August 17, 2028. Underwood must complete 26 sessions of the Building Choices programme and up to 20 days of rehabilitation activity under the supervision of the probation service. His iPhone 11 was ordered to be forfeited. Underwood was also fined £180 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 court surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to £379. He will remain subject to sexual offender notification requirements for five years and must report to Haverfordwest Police Station. The notification requirements are commonly described as being placed on the Sex Offenders Register. A five-year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed, giving police extensive powers to monitor Underwood’s use of mobile phones, computers and other devices. What the sexual harm prevention order means Under the order, Underwood must notify police within three days of acquiring any device capable of accessing the internet. Each device must be able to retain and display its internet history, and Underwood is prohibited from deleting that history. He must allow police to install riskmanagement monitoring software and must make devices immediately available for inspection when requested by a police officer or police staff member. The order prohibits Underwood from interfering with or bypassing monitoring software. He is also banned from using private or “incognito” browsing functions and cannot use software which prevents a device from retaining its internet history. Any cloud-storage account must be reported to police within three days of its creation, and access must be provided for inspection when requested. Underwood must also provide access to any device capable of storing moving or still images and is prohibited from installing encryption or wiping software, other than software which forms an intrinsic part of the normal operation of a device. Limited exceptions apply to computers used at work, Jobcentre Plus, public libraries or educational establishments,
subject to the notification provisions contained in the order. Why was he not jailed? Possessing an indecent photograph of a child under Section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. However, the maximum penalty is reserved for the most serious cases. It is not the normal sentence for every conviction under the legislation. The official Sentencing Council guideline sets different starting points according to the category of material and whether the offender possessed, distributed or produced it. For possession of Category C material, the starting point is a high-level community order. The permitted sentencing range runs from a medium-level community order to 26 weeks’ custody. The guideline also states that where there is a sufficient prospect of rehabilitation, a community order containing a programme or rehabilitation requirement can be a proper alternative to a short custodial sentence. The number and type of images are important. A high volume of material, moving images, deliberate searches for particularly serious content, commercial motivation and involvement in networks which facilitate the sharing or production of images can all increase a sentence. The court was told that one Category C image had been found in Underwood’s possession. Magistrates had adjourned the case for a probation report before deciding which sentence and requirements were appropriate. The contents of that report were not included in the court register released to the media, but the final sentence was within the guideline for the offence Underwood admitted. Public anger over sentence The absence of a prison term prompted widespread criticism beneath a Facebook update posted by Protecting Our Children Pembrokeshire Backup. One person wrote: “That’s not a sentence, that’s a joke.” Another said: “So he basically got away with it,” while others asked: “So no jail time?” and: “So he walks free? Really.”
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One commenter compared Underwood’s sentence with penalties imposed for selling illegal television streaming devices, while another referred to people allegedly receiving prison terms for social-media comments. Such comparisons can be misleading. Courts must consider the specific offence, its scale, the harm caused, the defendant’s culpability, any previous convictions and the plea entered. It is nevertheless entirely legitimate for members of the public to argue that the national sentencing guideline is too lenient. But it is not accurate to say that Underwood escaped conviction or received no punishment. He now has a criminal conviction, a two-year community order, compulsory intervention work, five years of notification requirements and a five-year court order allowing police to monitor and inspect his internet-enabled devices. Whether that amounts to sufficient punishment is a matter of public and political debate. How one image became a major public flashpoint The case had already generated an extraordinary reaction in Milford Haven before Underwood was sentenced. Several demonstrations were held outside residential properties connected with him. Police said a number of those protests passed peacefully. Events escalated on Tuesday, August 4, when approximately 100 people gathered outside a bungalow in Marble Hall Road. The property is understood to be occupied by an elderly relative of Underwood. There is no suggestion that the householder had any involvement in his offending. People at the scene claimed Underwood had been staying at the bungalow, although this was never independently confirmed. Witnesses told The Herald that eggs were thrown at the property before a window was smashed and curtains were pulled through the broken opening. Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that criminal damage occurred at approximately 9:27pm. The demonstration had begun peacefully, but officers imposed a Section 42 dispersal order following the damage and cleared the street. No arrests were made during that evening’s protest, and it has not been established who caused the damage. Police later released an image of a person whom officers believed might have information. The force stressed that there was no suggestion the person pictured was responsible for smashing the window. Residents spoke of being frightened by
the disturbance. Phyllis Stewart, who lives in one of the bungalows along the street, told The Herald that her granddaughter had come to sit with her because she was concerned for her welfare. She said: “I found it terrifying and unsettling and we should not have to feel this way.” Two arrested the following night The protests continued after the Marble Hall Road incident. On Wednesday, August 5, two people were arrested in connection with allegedly breaching the dispersal order. Both were subsequently released on bail. Police also imposed a second Section 42 order covering Howarth Close, where Underwood had given his address to the court. The force warned that while the right to peaceful protest would be respected, behaviour amounting to harassment, intimidation or serious disruption could constitute a criminal offence. The police statement said: “Several protests passed peacefully in the area over the last few days, however, the Dispersal Orders were enforced after criminal damage was caused to property in the area.” The Marble Hall Road claim
The latest post by “Protecting Our Children Pembrokeshire Backup” claimed that Marble Hall Road had previously been given as Underwood’s “bail address”. That statement is not supported by the court records available to The Herald. Underwood was granted unconditional bail following his earlier hearing. The address recorded for him by the court was Howarth Close. There was no bail condition requiring him to live at Marble Hall Road. Claims that he was staying at the relative’s bungalow were made by people attending the protest but were not independently confirmed. That distinction is particularly important given that the unverified claim was followed by a large crowd gathering outside the property and criminal damage being caused to the home of a person who had no involvement in Underwood’s offence. When protest becomes content The demonstrations were extensively livestreamed on social media, including through broadcasts on which gifts, subscriptions or donations were enabled. That prompted questions about whether a campaign presented as protecting children had become influenced by the demand for online
audiences, engagement and monetised content. One commenter beneath The Herald’s earlier reporting, who identified herself as a survivor and said she supported the stated cause, complained that child protection had become “secondary to the monetised lives”. The presence of monetisation does not prove that protests were organised for financial gain or that any individual profited from them. However, it raises legitimate questions about the incentives created when emotionally charged demonstrations outside private homes are turned into livestreamed content. When does the cause drive the content, and when does the need to generate content begin driving events? Genuine campaigners calling for children to be protected are entitled to protest peacefully, challenge the courts and argue for tougher sentencing. But the gulf between the single possession charge proved in court and the scale of the subsequent reaction raises unavoidable questions about proportionality and whether a local moral panic had taken hold. The case against Underwood may now have concluded, but the debate about the sentence, the conduct of the protests and the role of monetised social-media coverage is unlikely to end with it.
Protest outside the home of a relative of Underwood’s in Milford Haven (Pics: Herald)
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Pendine wildfire re-ignites as community rallies behind exhausted fire crews
Firefighters receive food, bottled water and refreshments donated by Bistro on the Bay, Pendine.
DRAMATIC drone footage has revealed the scale of the continuing wildfire at Pendine after the blaze reignited on Monday night — as local businesses and residents rallied to provide food and refreshments for firefighters working at the scene. Footage captured by Pembrokeshire New View Photography shows a significant emergency response at Morfa Bychan, with five fire appliances and a water tender deployed as smoke continued to pour from woodland and scrub near the coast. The aerial images give a striking view of the operation, showing appliances spread across neighbouring fields, hose lines running towards the affected area and large sections of scorched vegetation along the hillside. Smoke can be seen drifting across the countryside as crews work close to the edge of the woodland, demonstrating that the incident remained far from over after the initial major firefighting operation. The fire initially broke out in the Morfa Bychan area on Sunday evening and prompted a major response from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service Crews have since faced difficult conditions, including hard-to-reach terrain and repeated hotspots, with Monday night’s re-ignition resulting in firefighters and specialist vehicles being sent back into the affected area. The latest drone footage also illustrates the considerable amount of
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ground already affected by the blaze, with blackened and scorched areas clearly visible from the air. But alongside the dramatic scenes has come an equally striking community response. Pendine rallies behind firefighters Businesses and residents have been making sure crews working long hours at the fire have access to food, bottled water and other refreshments. Bistro on the Bay in Pendine was among those praised after preparing and donating supplies to firefighters. Emyr Thomas publicly thanked the business for taking the time to provide food and refreshments for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews working to protect residents, property and the countryside around Morfa Bychan. Further donations were provided by The Green Bridge Inn, with Julie Davies, Angharad Haf and others also thanked for helping deliver food and drinks to firefighters. Photographs shared from the village show firefighters receiving crates containing bottled water and food, while residents can also be seen speaking with crews beside a fire appliance. The donations have been warmly
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welcomed as firefighters continue what has become a prolonged and demanding operation. One local message offered “huge respect” to all the firefighters and emergency crews working to keep people in Pendine safe. The response follows days of concern in the community as flames and smoke affected the countryside around the popular coastal village. Residents and visitors have previously been urged to stay away from the affected area to avoid hampering emergency access, while fire crews have continued checking the ground for hotspots capable of flaring up again. The latest images underline both sides of the continuing incident — the scale of the challenge confronting firefighters and the determination of the local community to support those tackling it. The Herald will continue to bring updates as the situation develops.
Five fire appliances and a water tender can be seen in fields beside the smoking wildfire at Morfa Bychan. (Pic: Pembrokeshire New View Photography)
Smoke continues to rise from woodland and scrub near Pendine as crews tackle renewed hotspots. (Pic: Pembrokeshire New View Photography)
Final crews leave Pendine wildfire after three-day firefighting operation THE FINAL fire crew has left the scene of the major wildfire near Morfa Bychan Beach at Pendine after firefighters spent almost three days tackling the blaze. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the last crew departed at 7.50am on Wednesday (Aug 19), following an operation which began at 8.20pm on Sunday. The wildfire affected approximately 10 hectares of gorse and scrubland and required crews from across west
and mid Wales to be mobilised. Firefighters from Whitland, Tenby, Carmarthen, Pembroke Dock, Tumble, Narberth, Haverfordwest, Kidwelly, Llandeilo, Aberystwyth, Milford Haven, Llanelli, Llandysul, Port Talbot, Lampeter and Crymych were all involved during the incident. Crews used hose reel jets, main jets, wildfire knapsack sprayers and beaters to contain and extinguish the flames. Local farmers also played an
important role in the operation, assisting firefighters by bringing water tankers to the scene. The fire, which broke out on the cliffs close to Morfa Bychan Beach on Sunday evening, continued to require a substantial emergency service presence over the following days. Firefighters had to return in force after parts of the affected area reignited, with crews continuing to tackle hotspots and prevent the blaze spreading further across the dry
vegetation. The incident led to concern in surrounding communities as smoke and flames could be seen from a considerable distance. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said a further reinspection of the site was due to take place later on Wednesday to ensure the area remained safe and that no hotspots had reignited. The cause of the wildfire has not been confirmed.
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Firefighters called to another BBQ fire on Glen Beach
FIREFIGHTERS were called to Glen Beach in Saundersfoot after a barbecue fire required the intervention of the emergency services.
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Saundersfoot Harbour said a crew from Tenby Fire Station attended
the beach and extinguished the fire, describing it as “yet another BBQ fire”. The harbour thanked firefighters for their response and said fire safety advice had been given to those involved following the incident. In a statement posted on Wednesday (Aug 19), Saundersfoot Harbour said: “Thank you to Tenby Fire Station who came out to Glen Beach to extinguish yet another BBQ fire. Fire service have given advice to those involved.”
The incident comes during a period of heightened concern about outdoor fires across west Wales, following prolonged dry conditions and a series of significant wildfires. Earlier this week, crews from across Pembrokeshire and neighbouring counties were involved in tackling a major wildfire near Morfa Bychan Beach at Pendine, where around ten hectares of gorse and scrubland were affected. The Glen Beach incident prompted frustration among residents and visitors on social media, with some calling for greater care when using barbecues and fires on beaches. One commenter suggested those responsible for avoidable fires should contribute towards the cost of emergency call-outs, while another visitor said they had witnessed fires being lit on both the beach and pebble bank at Newgale the previous weekend. There was also a lighter moment following Wednesday’s call-out. One mother thanked a firefighter who invited her young son to sit inside the fire engine, saying the gesture had “made his day”. Firefighters have repeatedly urged people to take particular care with barbecues, cigarettes and other potential sources of ignition during dry weather, when relatively small fires can spread rapidly through nearby vegetation.
Man denies stalking and assault allegations A PEMBROKE man has denied stalking, harassment, assault and criminal damage allegations involving a woman in the town. Mark Hearn appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 17, charged with stalking involving fear of violence, harassment putting a person in fear of violence, common assault and criminal damage. The stalking allegation states that Hearn followed the complainant and entered her home in Pembroke on or around August 15, causing her to fear violence would be used against her.
He is also accused of harassing the same woman through phone calls and text messages, assaulting her, and damaging a Hyundai i20. Hearn entered not-guilty pleas to all four allegations. Magistrates granted him conditional bail, including a daily electronically monitored curfew from 7pm until 7am, a ban on contacting the complainant directly or indirectly, and an exclusion zone covering Devon Drive, Pembroke. A four-hour trial is listed at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on October 5. The allegations have not been proved.
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Pembroke woman’s £313 scrap-car fraud case adjourned again A PEMBROKE woman’s fraud case concerning the alleged sale of a car for scrap in Haverfordwest has been adjourned again after being listed before magistrates for sentence. Natalie Morris, aged 42, of Corston Lodge, Axton Hill, Pembroke, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Morris is charged with fraud by false representation in connection with an incident alleged to have taken place in Haverfordwest on August 9, 2022. The charge alleges that she dishonestly sold a silver Toyota Corolla T2, registration CU52 XBR, for scrap, intending to make a gain of £313 for herself. The offence is alleged contrary to sections 1 and 2 of the Fraud Act 2006. Tuesday’s hearing was formally listed as a sentencing hearing. However, the court media register records no sentence or other final disposal and the case has instead been adjourned for a further hearing. Morris is now required to appear at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court at 10:00am on Tuesday, September 15, when
Court Reporter
the matter is listed for a ten-minute mention hearing. The case has been before the courts for several months.
When Morris appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court in May, a previously issued warrant was withdrawn and the matter was adjourned for a plea hearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court. At that stage, no plea had been
entered. The latest court register does not state the outcome of any subsequent plea hearing or record a conviction date. The case therefore remains before the magistrates.
Milford Haven woman faces trial over alleged misuse of police 101 line A MILFORD HAVEN woman is due to stand trial after denying that she breached a community protection notice by making calls to the police non-emergency number without a genuine need. Lisa Thomas is accused of failing to comply with a notice issued under anti-social behaviour legislation. The allegation concerns an incident in Milford Haven on February 2, when it is said she acted in a manner likely to
cause harassment, alarm or distress to members of the public by calling 101 when there was no genuine need to do so and no risk to life. Thomas entered a not-guilty plea when the case first came before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 30. She was granted unconditional bail. A two-hour trial is listed at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on October 12.
Haverfordwest woman admits racially Former Tenby horse-and-carriage operator aggravated harassment of police officer banned after breath-test refusal A HAVERFORDWEST woman has admitted a racially aggravated publicorder offence involving a police officer. Michelle Whelton appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 17, accused of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress to PC Rosario. The offence is alleged to have taken
place at Peregrine Close, Haverfordwest, on January 8. The charge was racially or religiously aggravated. Whelton indicated a guilty plea and the matter was adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. She was granted unconditional bail ahead of sentencing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on September 8.A
A FORMER Tenby horse-and-carriage operator has been banned from driving for a year after being convicted of failing to provide a breath specimen to police. Kate Telford, 81, of Orchard Court, Johnston, was found guilty following a trial at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday August 17. The offence took place in Haverfordwest on March 1, when Telford was required to provide a breath specimen during a police investigation into a suspected motoring offence. Telford, who previously ran horse-andcarriage trips in Tenby, had denied the charge when she first appeared before magistrates in March. Magistrates disqualified her from driving for 12 months and imposed a £300 fine.
She must also pay £650 prosecution costs and a £120 surcharge. A collection order was made, with the financial penalties to be paid in monthly instalments of £24.
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New garden bench funded for South Pembrokeshire Hospital A NEW bench has been installed at South Pembrokeshire Hospital after being funded through charitable donations. Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, paid for the bench, which has been placed in the hospital’s communal garden for patients, visitors and staff to use. The charity said the new seating would give patients an opportunity to spend time outdoors away from the ward, while also providing staff with somewhere to take a break. Siân Nichols, Business Service Officer for Pembrokeshire, said: “Patients benefit from having a comfortable place to sit down and rest whilst enjoying the fresh air and nature. “Patients can leave the ward with their visitors and spend time connecting in an open space. Similarly, staff can sit together outside or take a moment
for themselves for some reflection or mindfulness, which will contribute to staff morale and wellbeing.” Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said donations from local communities allowed the charity to fund additional facilities and improvements across the health board area. She said: “This is a great example of how your local NHS charity funds projects and items that make a real difference, such as welcoming environments for patients, visitors and staff. “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda, and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.” Further information about Hywel Dda Health Charities and ways to support its work is available through the charity’s website.
Man sentenced after making more than 50 calls to woman
A MILFORD HAVEN man who repeatedly telephoned a woman and attended her home has been sentenced for stalking. Carl James, aged 37, of 16 Prioryville,
Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Tuesday (Aug 18). James had previously admitted pursuing a course of conduct which
amounted to the stalking of a female between July 25 and July 28. The court charge stated that James telephoned the woman more than 50 times and attended Tudor Place at Tiers Cross. He entered his guilty plea on July 29. Magistrates imposed a community order which will remain in force until August 17, 2027. James must complete up to 15 days of rehabilitation activity and abstain from consuming alcohol for 120 days, until December 15. He was ordered to remain at his Prioryville address between 5:00pm and midnight until August 20 and to cooperate with reasonable instructions while alcohol-monitoring equipment
was installed. A restraining order was also imposed until August 17, 2027. James must not contact her directly or indirectly, except through a solicitor, social services representative or other court-approved third party when seeking access to their children. He must not visit or knowingly enter any address where she lives, the street on which she lives or her place of work. The order also prevents him from posting or arranging for information referring to the victim to be placed on an electronic device, network, internet service or social media site. James must pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge at a rate of £25 a month beginning on October 13.
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Dropped phone triggers lifeboat, Coastguard and helicopter response
A MOBILE phone dropped on the Pembrokeshire coast sparked a major emergency response involving an RNLI lifeboat, Coastguard rescue teams and a helicopter after its automatic safety system reported a possible crash. Fishguard RNLI volunteers were paged by HM Coastguard at 1:54pm on Wednesday (Aug 19) following an automated alert giving coordinates
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between Cwm-yr-Eglwys and Aberfforest. The station’s D-class inshore lifeboat Edward Arthur Richardson was launched towards the location, while Fishguard and St Davids Coastguard teams were also tasked. A Coastguard rescue helicopter was
sent to assist. Initial information suggested that a vehicle collision may have taken place, prompting emergency crews to search the coastline and coast path. However, when rescuers reached the area there was no sign of any crashed vehicle or casualty. Fishguard Coastguard carried out an immediate search of the coast path, while the RNLI crew began speaking
to people nearby in an effort to establish what had happened. The mystery was eventually solved after volunteers spoke to several families. It emerged that somebody in the area had accidentally dropped their mobile phone, with the impact activating the device’s automatic crash or fall detection feature and sending an emergency SOS alert. Fishguard RNLI said the incident demonstrated the wide range of situations its volunteer crews can be called to deal with. The charity said its crew had been told that BT had received an automatic notification of a possible vehicle collision and had supplied coordinates on the coastline. After reaching the scene and finding nothing obviously wrong, the crew made enquiries before establishing that the alert had been caused by the dropped phone. Meanwhile Coastguard personnel were also alerted by the RNLI helm to a yacht positioned beneath the location indicated by the emergency coordinates. Checks established that no assistance was required. With emergency services satisfied that nobody was in danger and that the original notification had been a false alarm, the lifeboat returned to Fishguard and the other teams were stood down. Despite the unusual cause of the call-out, automatic crash detection systems are designed to summon help where a phone detects an impact consistent with a serious accident — meaning emergency services must treat such alerts as genuine until the circumstances can be established.
Goodwick woman banned after drink-driving in Tesco car park A GOODWICK woman has been banned from driving after being caught over the alcohol limit in Tesco’s car park at The Parrog. Samantha Burns, aged 46, of 3 Brynawelon, Stop and Call, Goodwick, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Burns admitted driving an Audi Q2 in the car park on July 29 with 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. She also pleaded guilty to using the vehicle without third-party insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence authorising her to drive that class of vehicle. Magistrates fined Burns £576 and disqualified her from driving for 24
months. The period of disqualification may be reduced by 24 weeks if she completes an approved rehabilitation course by January 2, 2028. Burns was also ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £230 surcharge. A collection order was made, with the total financial penalty to be paid in monthly instalments of £50 beginning on September 15. Her driving record was endorsed in respect of the insurance and licence offences, but no points or separate financial penalties were imposed for those charges. The court confirmed that Burns’ guilty pleas had been taken into account.
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NHS waiting list rises for third month as record A&E demand hits Wales THE NUMBER of NHS treatment pathways waiting to start treatment in Wales has risen for the third month in succession, as new figures also reveal record demand at emergency departments. Welsh Government data published on Thursday (Aug 20) shows there were just under 698,400 referral-totreatment pathways waiting at the end of June – an increase of around 8,700 compared with May. The rise comes after waiting lists had fallen significantly from their peak in late 2024, when the total stood at around 800,000. The latest figures show that progress has begun to reverse, increasing political pressure on the new Welsh Government to explain how it intends to bring the backlog back under control. At the same time, emergency departments experienced extraordinary summer demand during July, recording more than 104,000 attendances – an average of 3,357 every day and the highest number on record in Wales. Welsh Labour leader and health spokesperson Ken Skates MS said the latest increase was unacceptable. He said: “NHS waiting times are far too long, and far too many people are waiting in pain and discomfort. “The number of patient pathways waiting to start treatment is up for the third month in a row. And yet, it seems Plaid Cymru Government’s only response is that they will ‘reveal a plan in the coming weeks’. “This simply isn’t good enough. Where is the urgency? NHS patients and staff deserve better. It’s time for less talk, more action.” Labour said the earlier reduction in waiting lists had followed additional investment by the previous Welsh Labour Government as well as the work of NHS staff. Minister admits figures are ‘stark’ Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor MS acknowledged that NHS performance remained well below where it should be. He said: “The statistics are stark, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Performance on overall waiting times is nowhere near where it should be. “The people of Wales deserve better, and as a new Government we are working at pace to build an NHS in Wales where people are seen and treated much more quickly than today. “Behind every number in the latest statistics is someone waiting and wanting answers. That is why tackling the waiting list backlog is my absolute number one priority.” Mr ap Gwynfor said an additional £145 million had recently been announced for the NHS, with a detailed plan
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for tackling waiting times due to be published within weeks. He said the Government intended to take a “fundamentally different approach” aimed at getting patients seen more quickly, reducing waiting times and ensuring waiting lists remain lower in the longer term. The Minister also acknowledged the pressure being faced by NHS and social care staff, saying easing that burden would form part of the forthcoming plan. Heatwaves blamed for record summer pressure The Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents health boards and NHS organisations across Wales, said the recent spell of hot weather had added significantly to pressure on services. Director Darren Hughes said: “The recent hot weather has taken its toll on the NHS, contributing to record demand and placing staff under considerable strain as many worked in high temperatures. “July saw the highest number of emergency department attendances on record for Wales, a deeply concerning milestone more often associated with the pressures of winter.” He said hot weather could increase hospital demand through dehydration, dizziness, low blood pressure, fatigue and reduced mobility. Despite the record number of patients attending emergency departments, there were some signs of improvement. Four-hour and 12-hour performance
improved compared with the previous month, while the average time spent in emergency departments fell to two hours and 57 minutes. Mr Hughes also said cancer services had shown welcome improvement against key performance measures. However, he warned against viewing waiting lists in isolation from wider problems affecting health and social care. He said: “But these figures show a health and care system under unrelenting and escalating pressure. “Surgical hubs can increase capacity and protect planned care from disruption, but they are not a silver bullet.” He said new treatment capacity needed to be supported by sufficient staff, modern digital infrastructure and enough social care provision to ensure patients could move through the system efficiently. The Confederation is also calling for greater long-term financial certainty and a comprehensive 10-year capital investment strategy for NHS Wales. The latest figures are likely to keep health services near the top of the political agenda as ministers prepare to reveal their new waiting-list plan. Cabinet Minister for Health and Care responds Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “Today’s NHS performance figures show the significant pressure facing emergency services across Wales in July. There were over 104,000 attendances to all emergency departments, an average of 3,357 attendances per day – this is the highest on record – and I recognise
that far too many people are still waiting too long for emergency care access. “The statistics are stark, and I won’t pretend otherwise. Performance on overall waiting times is nowhere near where it should be. The people of Wales deserve better, and as a new Government we are working at pace to build an NHS in Wales where people are seen and treated much more quickly than today. Behind every number in the latest statistics is someone waiting and wanting answers. That is why tackling the waiting list backlog is my absolute number one priority. “I recently announced an extra £145m to support our NHS. I will reveal a plan in the coming weeks for how we will invest this year to tackle the waiting list and waiting times which takes a fundamentally different approach to what came before. This is not more of the same. It is a decisive shift that will get people seen quicker, cut waiting times, bring waiting lists down and, most importantly, keep them down – this will make a lasting difference that people will feel and see. “Our extraordinary NHS and social care staff show up every single day and give everything they have, often under considerable pressure and carrying the weight of a system that needs change. I see that, and it matters massively to me. Easing that pressure and giving them the support and the system they need is an important part of the work being done, and it will be reflected in the plan I will bring forward. “We must see an NHS that works better for patients and the people delivering that care.”
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Seven-year-old air ambulance survivor honoured after helping raise £65,000 A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD West Wales girl who survived devastating injuries in a road traffic collision has been recognised by the Child of Wales Awards after helping raise more than £65,000 for the charity whose medics helped save her life. Gracie Kinnear was presented with a certificate of merit from the Child of Wales Awards 2026 during a surprise visit to the Wales Air Ambulance base at Dafen on Tuesday (Aug 18). The youngster was nominated by Wales Air Ambulance after becoming the face of the charity’s Christmas campaign last December. Her campaign helped generate more than £65,000 – enough to fund around 18 combined air and road missions. Gracie’s mum Emma said the family had been surprised to receive an invitation to visit the airbase during the school holidays. She said: “It always feels like home, so of course I said yes. “We had a wonderful welcome from everyone, and it was such a special moment when Gracie received her certificate. Her face lit up. “We feel truly blessed; this really means the world to us. If you had told me several years ago that this is what the future would look like, I would never have believed you.” Life-saving treatment Several years ago, Gracie was rushed to Glangwili Hospital following a serious road traffic collision. Wales Air Ambulance medics, who had been dispatched by rapid response vehicle, provided advanced critical care. Emma said: “If it wasn’t for them, my daughter most likely would not be here today.” Medics discovered Gracie had suffered a collapsed lung. She was sedated and intubated before a procedure was carried out to relieve the pressure on her lung. She was also suffering from internal bleeding and received a blood transfusion at the scene, followed by another while being transferred
Mum Emma Kinnear with Gracie and Chester during their visit to the Wales Air Ambulance base in Carmarthenshire to the University Hospital of Wales Neurosurgical and Paediatric Trauma Centre in Cardiff. Her injuries included broken ribs, a fractured pelvis and scapula, liver lacerations and a shattered right kidney. Gracie also underwent surgery to reattach her ear and scalp. She was placed into a coma and remained critically ill for five days.
What followed was a two-year rehabilitation programme as Gracie gradually learned to walk and feed herself again. Emma said: “The journey has been long and hard. I had to change jobs to make sure that she got to all her appointments. “She returned to school, which was a big achievement. She slowly learnt to
walk again and feed herself. “Her brother Chester has been incredible every step of the way. He encourages her so much and is her biggest champion.” Pembrokeshire treat As part of the recognition, Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire, one of the sponsors of the Child of Wales Awards, has invited Gracie and her family to spend a day at the resort. Emma said swimming had played an important part in her daughter’s recovery. “Gracie loves to swim and be in the water. Hydrotherapy was a big part of her rehabilitation. As soon as she could take her arm floats off, she was off. “We never take for granted the simple things. There was a time when swimming seemed impossible. We were initially told she might be paralysed. “This will be the first time our family has visited Bluestone National Park Resort as a family, and we would like to extend our thanks to its team for this lovely treat.” Steven Stokes, Wales Air Ambulance’s Director of Strategic Communication and Engagement, said it had been a privilege to present Gracie with her certificate. He said: “Gracie is an incredible little girl, and her story has touched so many people. Her positive impact on people across Wales, at such a young age, is truly remarkable. “It was also wonderful to meet her brother Chester, who has not only supported Gracie’s fundraising, but has been by her side throughout her remarkable recovery. “It was clear to see how proud her mum and dad are of them both – and that pride is shared by all of us at the charity. “I would like to thank the organisers and sponsors of the Child of Wales Awards for the important work they do to recognise and celebrate our nation’s incredible young people – young people like Gracie, who inspire everyone around them.”
Woman ordered to pay £500 after kicking McLaren A PEMBROKE woman has been ordered to pay compensation after causing more than £2,800 worth of damage to a McLaren sports car. Jolene Probert, aged 49, of 9B Shoulder of Mutton, Pembroke, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Probert admitted kicking a McLaren 570S at Bush Hill, Pembroke, at approximately 9:13am on June 16. The car, which belonged to Gareth Edwards, sustained damage valued at £2,850.35. Probert was fined £80 and ordered to pay Mr Edwards £500 compensation. She must also pay £85 prosecution costs. She additionally pleaded guilty to using
threatening or abusive words or behaviour at Bush Hill Service Station on the same date. No separate penalty was imposed for the public-order offence. Probert was also dealt with for a separate incident at the Green Garage on Bush Hill on May 30. She admitted being drunk and disorderly in a public place and was fined £40. Magistrates made no order for prosecution costs in that case, stating that payment of compensation should be prioritised. The court confirmed that Probert’s guilty pleas had been taken into account when determining the penalties.
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Serious A40 collision causes disruption on opening day of Pembs County Show
A SERIOUS road traffic collision has closed a major stretch of the A40 in Pembrokeshire, causing significant disruption on one of the busiest traffic days of the year as thousands of people travel to the Pembrokeshire County Show. Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that the A40 is closed between Canaston Bridge and Penblewin following what it described as a “serious collision”. The road is expected to remain
closed for several hours and motorists are being urged to avoid Robeston Wathen. The incident comes on the opening day of the 2026 Pembrokeshire County Show, which is being held at the County Showground at Withybush, Haverfordwest, on Wednesday and Thursday, August 19 and 20. The event attracts large numbers of visitors from across Pembrokeshire and further afield, with the showground already busy from early Wednesday morning.
The timing of the closure is therefore particularly problematic, with the A40 serving as the principal route into Haverfordwest for motorists travelling from Narberth, Whitland, Carmarthenshire and communities further east. Traffic is building on surrounding roads as vehicles are diverted away from the collision scene. Pembrokeshire County Council is asking drivers not to attempt to find their own routes through Robeston Wathen and instead to follow the official diversion. Motorists travelling east are being directed from Canaston Bridge towards Cross Hands, Templeton and Kilgetty before joining the A477 towards St Clears. Those travelling west towards Haverfordwest are being advised to follow the same route in reverse. The diversion is expected to place considerable additional pressure on roads through Templeton, Kilgetty and along the A477, while motorists heading towards Haverfordwest and the County Show are being advised to allow substantially more time for their journeys. The council issued a further update at 12.20pm confirming that the continuing incident was also causing serious disruption to public transport. The 322 and 381 bus services are both being rerouted because of the road closure. The 381 service is currently unable
to serve Narberth or Robeston Wathen, while the 322 is also unable to operate its normal route through the affected area. The disruption is particularly significant for showgoers travelling into Haverfordwest from the east of the county. Pembrokeshire County Show is one of the biggest events in the county’s calendar, with the two-day agricultural show bringing livestock competitions, equestrian events, trade stands, food and drink producers and thousands of visitors to Withybush. The official show information confirms the event is taking place on August 19 and 20 at the County Showground. At present, no further details have been released about the circumstances of the collision or any casualties involved. The description of the crash as a “serious collision”, together with the warning that the A40 is likely to remain closed for several hours, suggests motorists should plan on disruption continuing into the afternoon. Anyone travelling to the County Show from the Narberth, Whitland or Carmarthenshire direction is advised to check the latest traffic information before setting off and to follow the official diversion rather than attempting to bypass the closure on minor roads. The Herald will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
Man remanded ahead of restrainingorder and assault trial A MAN has been remanded in custody ahead of a trial concerning an alleged assault and breach of a restraining order. Jamie Wilkinson, aged 24, of North Court, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Wilkinson has admitted breaching a restraining order by attending the Pembroke address of Ffion Davies on July 21. The order, imposed by Swansea Crown Court on September 19, 2025, prohibited him from attending the address. Wilkinson pleaded guilty to that offence on July 25. He denies a separate allegation that he breached the same restraining order on June 19 by telephoning Ms Davies and leaving her a voicemail. Wilkinson has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Ms Davies by beating her in Pembroke on July 21. He was remanded in custody ahead of a two-hour trial at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on September 14. The court recorded that bail was refused because of a risk that Wilkinson would
commit an offence causing injury, or fear of injury, to an associated person. Magistrates considered the nature and seriousness of the allegations, together with his previous record and character. The custody time limit in the case is due to expire on September 18.
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Pembrokeshire fire crews drawn into waleswide wildfire response as Army is called in The extraordinary pictures released by the MOD show soldiers, firefighters and helicopters working together as Wales continues to deal with one of its most serious periods of wildfire activity in recent years. But for Pembrokeshire residents, this is not simply an emergency happening somewhere else in Wales. Local firefighters and equipment have already been drawn into the wider response. On Thursday, a routine drill night for Milford Haven’s on-call firefighters suddenly became a journey of more than 100 miles across Wales. Milford Haven appliance 32P2 was first sent to provide standby cover at Swansea Central Fire Station before being mobilised onwards to the major wildfire at Llangynidr Reservoir, near Ebbw Vale. At the same time, Milford Haven’s 32W1 water bowser was strategically moved to Carmarthen to support operations across the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service area. It is a striking example of how incidents many miles away can involve resources based here in Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire has also had its own fire warnings during the prolonged spell of hot and exceptionally dry weather. On Friday evening, two fire appliances attended a blaze in the Clay Lanes area of Haverfordwest, where smoke could be seen among trees and vegetation. A local resident who raised the alarm later praised Haverfordwest firefighters for their rapid response and confirmed the fire had been extinguished. There has also been a concerning incident in the Preseli Hills. National Park Rangers were alerted to smoke near Tŷ Canol, close to the internationally important ancient woodland and nature reserve. At Carnedd Meibion Owen they discovered fire burning into the peat around a rocky outcrop. The blaze was believed to have originated from a campfire. Firefighters had previously extinguished it, but the exceptionally dry peat allowed it to reignite beneath the surface. Fishguard firefighters were eventually able to extinguish it fully, but the incident showed how quickly a seemingly small fire can become a serious threat to the surrounding countryside.
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The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has warned of a very high wildfire risk, with vegetation and peat exceptionally dry after the prolonged hot weather. People are being urged not to light campfires or other open fires and to take extreme care with anything capable of producing a flame or spark. Pressure on the regional fire service is also continuing. A Major Incident has been in place at Rhandirmwyn, near Llandovery, where firefighters have been tackling a large wildfire for several days. Helicopters have been carrying out water drops, homes have been evacuated and additional crews have been brought in from other fire and rescue services. That has a direct bearing on Pembrokeshire because Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is also responsible for protecting this county. When major incidents develop elsewhere in its area, appliances, specialist equipment and personnel may have to be moved around the region to maintain cover and support frontline operations. Now the military has also been brought into the wider Welsh response. Around 100 troops were initially deployed, with a further 100 expected to follow, including personnel from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment with headquarters support from 22 Royal Engineers. Their role is mainly logistical rather than frontline firefighting. Soldiers are helping move water, equipment, supplies and personnel, allowing trained firefighters to concentrate on tackling the fires themselves. The MOD photographs show troops working through damaged woodland, soldiers alongside fire crews and helicopters carrying water over the fireground. For Pembrokeshire, the warning is clear: local incidents have already occurred, local firefighters and equipment are helping with the wider emergency, and the countryside remains extremely vulnerable to fire. Residents and visitors are being urged to do everything possible to avoid another preventable ignition while crews remain under exceptional pressure across Wales.
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Net zero by 2040: What Wales’s new climate target could mean for Pembrokeshire
Welsh Government begins work on first Climate and Nature Action Plan as questions emerge over farming, rural transport, energy and the cost of reaching the target a decade early THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has set a new target for Wales to reach net zero emissions by 2040, potentially bringing forward the country’s climate ambition by a decade and raising major questions over what the transition will mean for farmers, motorists, businesses and rural communities in West Wales. Work has now begun on Wales’s first Climate and Nature Action Plan, which ministers say will bring climate change and nature loss together under a single cross-government programme. The plan will chart what the Government describes as a “practical pathway” towards net zero by 2040, alongside a goal of achieving substantive nature recovery by 2050. For Pembrokeshire, however, much of the interest is likely to centre on exactly what reaching net zero ten years earlier will require. Agriculture remains central to the county’s economy, many communities are heavily dependent on private cars, older rural homes can be difficult and expensive to make more energy efficient, and the Milford Haven Waterway is one of Wales’s most important centres for ports, energy and industry. At the same time, Pembrokeshire is seeing major investment and interest in renewable energy, meaning the county could potentially benefit economically from the transition as well as facing some of its most difficult practical questions. The announcement comes after a summer in which the effects of prolonged dry weather and wildfire have been particularly visible across West Wales. The Welsh Government itself pointed to recent wildfires, flooding, pressure on food and farming, hotter summers and coastal change among the problems the new plan is intended to address. But while the destination has now been set, much of the detail about how Wales would actually reach net zero by 2040 remains to be developed. That distinction is significant. Wales’s current statutory framework requires greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by 89 per cent against the baseline by 2040, with net zero legally required by 2050.
Tom Sinclair
editor@herald.email
The new 2040 ambition therefore goes substantially further than the existing legal target for that year. The UK-wide legally binding target also remains net zero by 2050. The Welsh Government’s announcement does not set out whether the 2040 target will eventually be placed into legislation, nor does it yet detail what additional measures will be needed in individual sectors to close the gap between an 89 per cent reduction and net zero. Those questions could prove particularly important in rural counties. For farming, the debate is likely to focus on how emissions reductions can be achieved while maintaining food production and viable family farms, and what role changes in land use, woodland creation and nature restoration could play. For transport, there is the question of how rapidly emissions can be reduced in communities where regular public transport alternatives can be limited and travelling by car remains essential for work, education and accessing services. There are also potentially major
consequences – and opportunities – for the Milford Haven Waterway, where the future of existing energy and industrial activity is increasingly being considered alongside new renewable and low-carbon developments. Tourism, coastal protection, housing and infrastructure are also likely to feature heavily in the debate. A new Climate and Nature Board is being established to help shape the plan and provide external expertise, challenge and scrutiny. It will be chaired by Llyr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, with further engagement promised for communities and organisations across Wales. Mr Gruffydd said climate change and the decline of nature should not be treated as separate issues, saying: “They are connected problems and we need to respond to them in a connected way.” He said communities, organisations and partners would be involved in developing solutions, with the wider aim of creating more resilient communities, supporting sustainable food and farming, improving homes and developing green skills and employment.
The Government argues that the transition should also bring benefits, including cleaner air and water, warmer homes, greater resilience to extreme weather and new economic opportunities. Its challenge will now be demonstrating how those benefits can be delivered without placing an unfair financial burden on communities with fewer alternatives. In Pembrokeshire, that is likely to mean some difficult questions. How much will reaching net zero by 2040 cost households and businesses? What changes will farmers be expected to make? What happens to people who cannot realistically give up their cars? How much investment will be available to improve older homes? And what role will Milford Haven and the wider West Wales energy sector be expected to play? The answers will become clearer as the Climate and Nature Action Plan is developed. But bringing the ambition forward to 2040 means the timetable is suddenly much tighter – and the debate over who pays, who benefits and what has to change is likely to become increasingly prominent in Welsh politics.
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GCSE RESULTS 2026
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Congratulations to all the students!
Pupils celebrate as GCSE results are revealed PUPILS across Pembrokeshire have been celebrating their achievements after collecting GCSE and vocational results on Thursday (Aug 20), marking the end of years of study and the beginning of the next stage of their lives. There were scenes of excitement, relief and, inevitably, a few nerves at schools throughout the county as Year 11 pupils opened their results and began making plans for September and beyond. Photographs released by Pembrokeshire County Council showed pupils celebrating at schools including Ysgol Harri Tudur, Ysgol Bro Preseli, Greenhill School, Ysgol Bro Gwaun and Milford Haven School. The council congratulated learners across Pembrokeshire, praising the commitment, resilience and determination shown by young people during their secondary education. Cllr Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Education, said: “Today is an important milestone for many young people across Pembrokeshire.
“We are immensely proud of everything they have accomplished and of the perseverance they have shown. “Whether they are progressing to further study, training or employment, these results represent the culmination of significant effort and commitment. “We wish every learner the very best as they move forward to the next stage of their journey.” Pembrokeshire County Council did not publish an overall county-wide breakdown of grades in its initial resultsday announcement, instead placing the emphasis on the achievements and individual journeys of pupils across the county. For many, the next destination will be a school sixth form or Pembrokeshire College, while others are moving into apprenticeships, vocational training or employment. Steven Richards-Downes, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Director for Education, said results day was an opportunity to recognise achievement in
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all its forms. He said every learner’s journey was different and stressed that the council remained committed to ensuring young people had access to the support, opportunities and guidance they needed as they made decisions about their futures. At Milford Haven School, staff reported “positive progress” across major areas, with pupils celebrating GCSE, BTEC and vocational qualifications. Among those singled out by the school for their achievements were Molly Badrock, Zara Shaik, Cerys Allen, Darcey Truman, Ella Jenkins, Charlie Black, Kleo Brown, Harper Llewellyn, Seren Prettyman, Eva Howard, Rowan Joseph, Isaac Rutherford, Eryn Howlett, Maisie Phillips, Lewis Power, Aryan Pusalker and Shane Bull. Two Year 11 pupils, Lily Owens and Luke Higginbotham, also passed AS Mathematics while still completing their GCSE studies. Acting headteacher Mr John said the school was “incredibly proud” of its pupils, adding that their achievements reflected both their own efforts and the support of families and staff. Milford Haven School has a separate full results report in this week’s Herald. For some young people, results day has also underlined the range of routes now available outside the traditional path of GCSEs followed by A-levels and university.
One Pembrokeshire teenager who has already decided on her next step is 16-year-old Matilda Phillips from Haverfordwest. After initially being uncertain whether to pursue a career involving horses or beauty, Matilda worked with Careers Wales adviser Toni-Jo “TJ” Stables to explore college courses, apprenticeships and other training opportunities. She has now secured a Level 2 apprenticeship in Horse Care Management at the same establishment where she already works and where her own horse is kept. Matilda said: “I just wanted to come out of school and go and do something that I enjoyed, but still get a qualification and still be learning.” She said having a clear direction had removed much of the uncertainty she had felt while still at school. “I feel like I know what I’m doing now and I’ve got a clear path,” she said. “I’m not worrying about what I’m going to do.” Her experience reflects the growing number of choices available to school leavers, with apprenticeships allowing young people to earn, gain practical experience and work towards recognised qualifications. Careers Wales advisers are available to help pupils who remain uncertain about their next step, while schools and colleges are also providing guidance on courses, entry requirements and alternative routes.
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GCSE RESULTS 2026
Congratulations to all the students!
For some households, however, Thursday will have brought disappointment as well as celebration. Education expert Dr Richard Anderson has urged parents not to panic if their child’s results are lower than expected, stressing that one set of grades does not determine a young person’s future. He said the first conversation after disappointing results could be particularly important and advised parents against immediately concentrating on weaker subjects or asking why a teenager had not revised harder. “If they’re already disappointed in their performance, these questions will only serve to undermine their self-confidence and make them feel worse,” he said. Instead, families are being encouraged to give young people time to process their results before looking calmly at the alternatives. Depending on individual circumstances, pupils who have missed the grades they hoped for may still be able to enter sixth form or college, choose a different course, pursue vocational qualifications or an apprenticeship, or resit particular subjects. “There isn’t one linear process that every student needs to follow,” Dr Anderson said. “By reminding yourself and your child of this, you open up a much wider variety of possibilities for them to explore.” He also encouraged families to speak
to teachers, colleges and trained careers advisers before making major decisions. Across Wales, Education and Welsh Language Minister Anna Brychan congratulated learners receiving their results and reminded pupils that their grades did not define their future. She said there were opportunities available through further education, apprenticeships and employment, and thanked teachers and school staff for supporting pupils through their studies. School leaders also paid tribute to the work behind the results. Dr Graham Gault, national secretary of NAHT Cymru, said every grade represented significant effort not only by pupils but also by teachers, school leaders, support staff and families. As celebrations continue across Pembrokeshire, attention will quickly turn towards September. Some pupils will return to school for sixth form, others will begin at college, while many will enter workplaces, apprenticeships or training for the first time. For those delighted with their grades and those now considering a different route, the message from schools and education leaders is the same: GCSE results are an important milestone, but they are not the end of the journey. For hundreds of young people across Pembrokeshire, the next chapter starts now.
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GCSE RESULTS 2026
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Congratulations to all the students!
Milford Haven celebrates success! MILFORD HAVEN SCHOOL is celebrating a strong set of GCSE, BTEC and vocational results, with the school confirming that 100% of its pupils are leaving with qualifications to support their next steps. Year 11 pupils collected their results on Thursday (August 20), marking the end of years of study and opening the door to sixth form, college, apprenticeships and employment. The school said it had made positive progress across all of its major areas, praising pupils for the hard work, resilience and determination they had shown throughout their studies. Acting Headteacher Mr John said: “We are incredibly proud of everything our pupils have accomplished and the commitment they have shown in reaching this important milestone. “Their success reflects not only their individual effort but also the support of their families and the dedication of our staff. “We wish them every success and happiness as they take their next exciting steps in education, training, or employment.” Among the pupils singled out for notable achievements were Molly Badrock, Zara Shaik, Cerys Allen, Darcey Truman, Ella Jenkins, Charlie Black, Kleo Brown, Harper Llewellyn, Seren Prettyman, Eva Howard, Rowan Joseph, Isaac Rutherford, Eryn Howlett, Maisie Phillips, Lewis Power, Aryan Pusalker and Shane Bull.
There was also an impressive achievement for Lily Owens and Luke Higginbotham, who, while still in Year 11, successfully passed their AS Mathematics examinations. The celebrations were not limited to Year 11, with Year 10 pupils also receiving positive results which the school says will provide a strong foundation as they begin their final year of compulsory education.  Mr Jon Letten, Assistant Headteacher for Data and Standards, said it had been “fantastic” to see pupils collecting their results.  He added: “Their achievements are a testament to the hard work, determination and commitment they have shown throughout their time with us and we are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished. “We are particularly pleased that 100% of our pupils leave Milford Haven School with qualifications that will support them in taking their next steps, whether that is into sixth form, college, an apprenticeship or employment. “We wish every pupil the very best as they begin the next exciting stage of their journey.” The school signed off its results-day message by wishing pupils well in their future endeavours: “Pwb lwc pawb!” — good luck everyone.
Molly Badrock celebrates her GCSE results
Charlie Black celebrates his achievements
Henry Tudor celebrates GCSE success
Record-breaking year for Penrhyn Dewi
YSGOL Harri Tudur / Henry Tudor School has congratulated its Year 11 learners after GCSE and vocational qualification results were released today (Thursday, August 20). Headteacher Fiona Kite and the school’s governing body praised pupils for their hard work, commitment and resilience throughout their secondary education. Mrs Kite said: “We wish to recognise and celebrate the many significant and diverse achievements of our Year 11 cohort. “The GCSE and equivalent qualifications obtained today reflect the hard work, commitment and resilience shown by our learners. “Nearly all learners have demonstrated clear and sustained progress throughout their school journeys, and today’s outcomes are a testament to their determination, progress and growth over time.” The school said pupils had achieved successes across a wide range of subjects and qualifications, with many securing strong sets of results and some achieving outstanding outcomes. Learners will now move on to a variety of post-16 pathways, including Henry Tudor’s Sixth Form, other further education providers, apprenticeships and employment. Mrs Kite added: “Each individual success story is important, and these achievements will now enable our learners to progress
YSGOL PENRHYN DEWI is celebrating record-breaking GCSE results after its Class of 2026 surpassed expectations and delivered the school’s strongest performance to date. The St Davids school said it was “absolutely blown away” by the achievements of its Year 11 learners, with more than 84 per cent reaching the Level 2 threshold. Almost a third of pupils – 32 per cent – achieved at least five A* to A grades. School leaders said the results were even better than anticipated and reflected the hard work and determination shown by pupils throughout their studies. In a message congratulating the year group, the school said: “We anticipated that their outcomes would be fantastic, but they are even better – incredible. “Our Year 11 learners have surpassed all expectations and have achieved recordbreaking results for YPDVA.” The school stressed that the success was also the result of a wider team effort involving families, staff and the local community. It added: “Behind every performer, there is a passionate and committed team including parents, teachers, support staff and our community, diocese, governing body and local authority. “Diolch yn fawr pawb!” School leaders said every learner had
confidently into their post-16 pathways. “We are extremely proud of the entire Year 11 cohort of 2026. We applaud every learner and send our warmest congratulations and best wishes as you embark on the next chapter of your educational and personal journeys.” The school also thanked parents and carers for their support throughout the pupils’ studies, as well as teaching and support staff who helped prepare learners for their examinations and qualifications. Mrs Kite said staff had supported pupils with “professionalism, expertise and dedication” throughout their time at the school.
achieved results of which they could be proud, providing them with opportunities as they move on to further education, training, apprenticeships and other pathways. The school added: “Every single learner has achieved outcomes to be proud of, providing them with the keys to open as many doors as they wish on the next exciting stage of their journey.” Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, a Church in Wales voluntary aided school, said the achievements reflected its ethos inspired by Wales’ patron saint. “Our school currency of love and our motto of Saint David’s words, ‘Do the little things’, certainly wins the day,” the school said. The results mark a memorable end to secondary education for the Class of 2026, with pupils now preparing for the next stage of their studies and careers.
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GCSE RESULTS 2026
Congratulations to all the students!
Ysgol Bro Preseli celebrates GUIDE FOR PARENTS
If GCSE results don’t go to plan
PUPILS at Ysgol Bro Preseli have been celebrating after receiving their GCSE results today (Thursday, Aug 20). The school congratulated students in Years 10 and 11 on their achievements, with pupils gathering to open their results and share the moment with friends, families and staff. There were smiles, celebrations and some emotional scenes as envelopes were opened and students discovered the grades they had worked towards throughout the year. In a message to pupils, the school said: “Huge congratulations to all Year 10 and 11 pupils at Ysgol Bro Preseli on your GCSE Results 2026!
“We are incredibly proud of your hard work, dedication and achievements today.” The school also thanked families and staff for the support they had given pupils throughout their studies. Photographs from the morning show students comparing their results, celebrating together and sharing the occasion with teachers and family members. The results mark an important milestone for Year 11 pupils as they prepare for the next stage of their education, training or employment, while Year 10 students will continue their GCSE studies during the coming academic year. Ysgol Bro Preseli said more photographs from the special morning would follow.
Bro Gwaun celebrates best results in years
PUPILS at Ysgol Bro Gwaun are celebrating after the school recorded its strongest GCSE results for several years. Year 11 students received what the school described as an “excellent set of GCSE results” today (Thursday, August 20), with improvements reported across all key performance measures. The school said it was proud not only of pupils achieving the highest grades, but also of those who had overcome challenges, made significant progress and reached important personal goals. A spokesperson said: “We are incredibly proud of every pupil. While many have achieved exceptional grades, we are equally proud of those who have overcome
challenges, made significant progress and achieved personal goals along the way. Every success deserves recognition.” The school said the results reflected years of hard work, determination and resilience from pupils, together with the dedication of staff and support from parents, carers and governors. Year 10 pupils were also congratulated after receiving excellent results in subjects taken a year early. For Year 11, attention now turns to the next stage, with pupils progressing to sixth form, college, apprenticeships, training or employment. The school added: “We wish them every success and happiness in the future.”
Education expert urges parents to stay calm, avoid criticism and help teenagers explore the options still open to them GCSE results day can bring celebration and relief, but for some young people the grades inside the envelope may not be what they had hoped for. With students across Pembrokeshire and the rest of Wales receiving their results today, Thursday (Aug 20), parents are being urged to resist the temptation to immediately focus on disappointing grades and instead help their children consider what comes next. Dr Richard Anderson, Director of Learning at online training provider High Speed Training, said an unexpected result can leave teenagers dealing with a mixture of disappointment, anxiety and uncertainty. He said: “Whatever results students
are faced with, remembering that each individual has experienced their own personal journey to get there is vital. “Remind them of the obstacles they’ve overcome to get to this point. It’s a credit to their work ethic in such challenging times.” For pupils who have fallen short of the grades they wanted, Dr Anderson said the first conversation at home can make a significant difference. He urged parents to avoid questions such as “why didn’t you revise harder?” or immediately concentrating on the subjects in which their child performed less well. “If they’re already disappointed in their performance, these questions will only serve to undermine their self-confidence and make them feel worse,” he said. Instead, families are advised to give young people time to process their results before deciding on their next move.
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Prisoner accused of making threat which could endanger woman’s life A PRISONER has been remanded in custody accused of making a threat to damage property in a way which could endanger a woman’s life. Luke Rogers, aged 40, whose current address is recorded as HMP Parc, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Rogers is charged with threatening to damage his own property in Wolfscastle, on October 18, 2024. The charge alleges that he threatened a female that he would damage a rug in a manner which he knew was likely
to endanger her life. It is further alleged that Rogers intended her to fear that the threat would be carried out. The court register does not record a plea to the charge. Rogers was remanded in custody, with the court noting that he was already being held in prison. He is due to return to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for a further mention on August 25. A three-hour trial has been provisionally listed for October 1. The custody time limit in the case is currently due to expire on October 13.
Arrest warrant issued over alleged racial abuse of police officers AN ARREST warrant has been issued for a man accused of racially aggravated offences against two police officers. Spencer Tatton, aged 22, of Leopold Court, Leopold Street, Rochdale, had been due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Tatton faces two charges of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress arising from an incident in Haverfordwest on March 31. One charge alleges that he used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards PC Sursona with the intention of causing harassment,
alarm or distress. The second charge makes the same allegation in relation to PC Smith. Tatton is also accused of causing criminal damage to a Dyfed-Powys Police van during the same incident. The value of the alleged damage is recorded as unknown. No pleas are recorded on the court register. Magistrates issued a warrant for Tatton’s arrest without bail. The court recorded that the alleged offences are punishable by imprisonment in the case of an adult defendant.
Warrant issued for man accused of burgling Tenby flat AN ARREST warrant has been issued for a Saundersfoot man accused of entering a Tenby flat as a trespasser with the intention of stealing. Callum Tanner, aged 26, of 20 Sandy Hill Park, Saundersfoot, had been due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Tanner is charged with burglary of a dwelling. The charge alleges that he entered
residential accommodation at The Cove Inn, 14 High Street, Tenby, as a trespasser on October 6, 2025. It is alleged that he intended to steal property from inside the premises. No plea is recorded on the court register. Magistrates issued a warrant for Tanner’s arrest without bail. The court recorded that the alleged offence is punishable by imprisonment.
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Three call-outs in three days for Angle RNLI lifeboat crew Tom Sinclair
editor@herald.email
ANGLE RNLI volunteers have responded to three separate incidents in as many days, including reports of a flare near Pembroke, concern for a person off Freshwater West and a yacht in difficulty on the Milford Haven Waterway. The first call came at 9:05am on Saturday, when the crew was tasked
following several reports of a flare being sighted in the Pennar Gut area of Pembroke. The lifeboat launched shortly afterwards and began searching Pennar Gut, while its inflatable Y boat was deployed to search the Pembroke River. The Coastguard also contacted a number of commercial vessels
Man remanded in custody after alleged knife threat and assault in Pembroke Dock A MILFORD HAVEN man has been remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates over allegations of a knife threat and assault in Pembroke Dock. Luke Richards, 26, of Milton Crescent, is accused of threatening Anthony Davies with a knife in Wavell Crescent on Saturday, August 15. It is alleged that Richards had a bladed article with him in a public place and intentionally threatened Mr Davies in a manner which would cause a reasonable person to fear an immediate risk of physical harm. Richards is also accused of assaulting Mr Davies, causing actual bodily harm, during the same alleged incident. The case was heard at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Sunday, August 17. No plea was entered. Magistrates sent the case to Swansea Crown Court for trial and remanded
Richards in custody. The court heard that the decision was made on bail grounds including concerns about further offending, interference with witnesses and absconding. A plea and trial preparation hearing is listed at Swansea Crown Court on September 18.
operating in the area as part of efforts to establish whether anybody was in difficulty. After a thorough search found nothing, with no further sightings or corroborating reports received, the crew was stood down. The lifeboat returned to its berth and was ready for service again by 11am. A second call followed at 6:09pm on Sunday, when the crew was asked to investigate concerns for a person believed to have been cut off by the tide on The Pole, a reef off Freshwater West beach. The Coastguard had issued a broadcast requesting assistance, with a local charter fishing vessel responding and attempting to investigate. However, the vessel was unable to get close enough to the reef safely to establish the person’s welfare or intentions. Angle lifeboat was therefore requested and reached Freshwater West around 18 minutes after launching. The Y boat was again deployed, allowing crew members to approach the reef and speak to the person. It was established that the individual
was spearfishing and had used a paddleboard to reach the reef. Once the crew was satisfied that no assistance was required, the Y boat was recovered and the lifeboat returned to Angle, arriving back alongside by around 7:30pm. The volunteers were called out for a third time at 4:34pm on Monday, this time to assist Milford Haven Harbour Patrol with a 26ft yacht suffering from a fouled propeller near The Jolly Sailor. Harbour Patrol had been unable both to free the propeller and safely tow the yacht, prompting a request for assistance from the RNLI. Angle’s crew was soon on scene and helped free the vessel before taking it under tow to Lawrenny. Once the yacht had been safely returned to its mooring, the crew was stood down and headed back to station, where the lifeboat was once again ready for service by 7pm. The three incidents underline the varied nature of call-outs handled by Angle’s volunteer lifeboat crew, covering the Pembroke and Milford Haven waterways as well as the exposed coastline around Freshwater West. Photos: Angle Lifeboat RNLI
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Reform-branded Facebook page accused of spreading ‘Putin propaganda’
A REFORM UK supporters’ page in north-east Wales has been accused of promoting “Putin propaganda” after publishing a call for Britain to stop supplying money and weapons to Ukraine. The Facebook page, named Reform UK Alyn and Deeside and Wrexham,
urged the UK Government to “defund Ukraine”, lift sanctions against Russia and restore normal diplomatic and trading relations with Moscow. The development was first reported by Martin Shipton for Nation.Cymru. The page uses Reform UK’s logo and colours and includes content featuring
party leader Nigel Farage and Reform’s two Fflint Wrecsam Senedd Members, Cristiana Emsley and Nigel Williams. However, a disclaimer describes it as a supporters’ page and states that its content does not necessarily represent official Reform UK policy. The controversial post alleged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was refusing to hold an election because he feared being voted out. It also described Ukraine as highly corrupt and called for an end to British military and financial support. The message was subsequently deleted after Nation.Cymru approached Reform UK for comment. Former Welsh Government Counsel General Mick Antoniw, who is of Ukrainian heritage, accused those responsible for the post of repeating Russian propaganda. Mr Antoniw said withdrawing support would effectively mean calling for Ukraine to capitulate following Russia’s invasion. He also criticised the suggestion that Ukraine should hold a national election while part of the country remains occupied, millions of citizens have been displaced and population centres continue to face Russian missile and drone attacks. Mr Antoniw told Nation.Cymru: “They have become Putin puppets.” He called on Reform UK’s leadership
to condemn the message and expel anyone responsible for publishing or circulating it. Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said the controversy raised further questions about Reform’s position towards Russia. She referred to former Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill, who was jailed after admitting taking bribes in return for making statements favourable to Russia while serving in the European Parliament. Ms Saville Roberts said rewarding Russian aggression would not bring peace, adding that Plaid Cymru would continue supporting Ukraine. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds also condemned the Facebook post and reaffirmed her party’s support for Ukraine and its defence against the Russian invasion. Nation.Cymru asked Reform UK who was responsible for the post, whether disciplinary action would be taken and whether its contents represented party policy. The publication also approached Ms Emsley and Mr Williams for their views. No response had been received from the party or either Senedd Member when the original report was published. Source credit: This article is based on original reporting by Martin Shipton for Nation.Cymru. The full original report can be read here.
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Cardigan RNLI welcomes crowds to successful Open Day Lifeboat Station from 11am until 4pm, featured activities and demonstrations throughout the day, alongside visits from emergency service partners. Visitors were able to get a closer look at the station’s rescue craft and equipment, practise rope throwing and find out more about the work carried out by the charity’s volunteers. There was also plenty for younger visitors, including the chance to meet RNLI mascot Stormy Stan, while food, refreshments and fundraising activities helped create a lively family atmosphere. The event provided an opportunity for the public to learn more about the volunteers who remain on call around the clock to respond to emergencies at sea and along the coastline.
CARDIGAN RNLI welcomed crowds to its annual Open Day at Poppit Sands on Sunday (Aug 16), giving families the chance to meet
volunteer crew members, explore the lifeboats and learn vital water safety skills. The free event, held at Cardigan
Pensioner denies stalking woman
A 78-YEAR-OLD Pembroke man has denied stalking a woman over a fivemonth period. Thomas Ormond, of 98 South Road, Pembroke, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Ormond pleaded not guilty to stalking a woman between September 1, 2025, and January 31, 2026. The charge alleges that Ormond repeatedly attended the alleged victim’s home without invitation and sent her numerous text messages after she had asked him to stop contacting her. A three-hour trial has been listed at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on
October 19. Ormond was released on conditional bail. He must not contact her or two other named witnesses either directly or indirectly. He is also prohibited from entering Boundary View in Pembroke Dock. The court directed that the woman will be permitted to give evidence during the trial by live video link. A further direction was made preventing Ormond from personally cross-examining the alleged victims. Richard Morgan was appointed to conduct any necessary cross-examination on Ormond’s behalf.
Following the event, Cardigan RNLI thanked everyone who attended, donated, volunteered or helped make the day possible. A spokesperson said: “A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Cardigan RNLI Open Day. “It was fantastic to welcome so many visitors to the station to meet our volunteer crew, explore the lifeboats, learn vital water safety skills and meet our emergency service partners. “Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, volunteered and helped make the day such a success. Your support helps us continue saving lives at sea.” The RNLI is independent of government and relies largely on voluntary donations to maintain its lifesaving service.
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Luxury cruise ship leaves Fishguard after passengers unable to come ashore
Silver Spirit’s scheduled Pembrokeshire visit ended hours early, with photographs showing choppy conditions offshore despite fine weather on land
A LUXURY cruise ship expected to bring more than 1,000 passengers and crew to Pembrokeshire has left Fishguard without passengers being brought ashore after its scheduled visit was cut short. Silver Spirit arrived off Fishguard on Thursday morning (Aug 20) as part of
Tom Sinclair
editor@herald.email
an 11-night cruise around the British Isles. The vessel had been scheduled to arrive at 9.00am and remain until 7.30pm, giving passengers much of
the day to visit Fishguard and other parts of Pembrokeshire. However, the ship departed Fishguard hours earlier than planned. Photographs obtained by The Pembrokeshire Herald show Silver Spirit off the North Pembrokeshire coast in noticeably choppy conditions, with white water visible around the vessel. A further photograph shows the cruise ship heading away from Fishguard It is understood that passengers were unable to be transferred safely ashore, although the precise reason for abandoning the call has not yet been officially confirmed. The apparent sea conditions came despite relatively pleasant weather on
land, where visibility was good and there was no suggestion of the sort of severe weather normally associated with the cancellation of a port visit. The distinction is important because cruise passengers visiting ports where their vessel remains offshore are transferred between the ship and shore using much smaller tender boats. Conditions which may appear relatively benign from land can therefore still present difficulties when passengers are being moved between a tender and a large vessel moving independently in the swell. The Herald understands the passengers aboard Silver Spirit did not make the anticipated visit ashore before the ship departed. The aborted call will be a disappointment for Fishguard and the wider tourism economy, with the luxury vessel’s visit having been billed as bringing more than 1,000 passengers and crew to the area. Silver Spirit had sailed to Fishguard from Falmouth and, according to its published itinerary, is next due to arrive in Liverpool at 8.00am on Friday. The 210-metre Silversea vessel is one of the company’s luxury cruise ships and carries hundreds of passengers alongside a crew of more than 400. No official explanation for the decision to cut short Thursday’s Fishguard call had been issued at the time of publication.
Haverfordwest woman sentenced for racial abuse and two assaults A HAVERFORDWEST woman has been sentenced for racially aggravated abuse and two assaults. Kelly Picton, aged 35, of Flat 17, Skomer Court, Siskin Close, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Picton pleaded guilty to assaulting Sion Henry by beating him in Haverfordwest on January 28. She was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs. Picton also admitted a second assault against Mr Henry on January 29. No separate penalty was imposed for that offence. She was additionally sentenced after previously indicating a guilty plea to racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress involving PC Christian Calditaran on January 29.
The charge stated that Picton used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of causing the officer harassment, alarm or distress. For that offence, Picton was fined a further £120. The court recorded that the fine had been increased from sentencing band B to band C because the offence was racially aggravated. No compensation was ordered because of Picton’s limited financial means and because magistrates considered compensation inappropriate in the circumstances. No prosecution costs were imposed in that case. A separate non-aggravated public-order charge arising from January 29 was withdrawn. Another racially aggravated charge appearing on the register was marked as having been entered in error.a
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Driver dies following A40 crash near Robeston Wathen
A DRIVER has died following a serious single-vehicle collision on the A40 near Robeston Wathen. The crash happened at around 9.15am on Wednesday, August 19, prompting a major emergency response and the closure of the road in both directions. Dyfed-Powys Police said officers attended alongside ambulance and fire crews, but the driver of the vehicle was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The driver’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. The incident led to the closure of the A40 between Canaston Bridge and Penblewin for several hours, causing significant disruption across the area. The timing of the crash caused particular difficulties as large numbers of motorists were travelling towards Haverfordwest for the opening day of the Pembrokeshire County Show at Withybush. Pembrokeshire County Council urged motorists to avoid Robeston Wathen and follow an official diversion while emergency services dealt with the incident.
Traffic travelling east was diverted from Canaston Bridge towards Cross Hands, Templeton and Kilgetty before joining the A477 towards St Clears, with westbound traffic directed along the same route in reverse. The closure also caused serious delays to local bus services, with the 322 and 381 routes both affected during the day. At 12.20pm, the council said the 381 was unable to serve Narberth or Robeston Wathen, while the 322 was also being diverted away from communities along the affected stretch of road. The vehicle involved in the collision was later recovered. Police confirmed that the A40 reopened at around 2.10pm, bringing the lengthy closure to an end. A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Dyfed-Powys Police attended a single-vehicle road traffic collision on the A40, near Robeston Wathen, at around 9.15am today. “Officers attended alongside the Ambulance and Fire and Rescue services and the road was closed. “Sadly, the driver of the vehicle passed away at the scene.
Pembroke moped rider banned after drug-driving conviction A PEMBROKE man has been disqualified from driving after admitting riding a moped with THC above the specified limit. Ieuan Roberts, aged 25, of 9 Twopenny Hay Close, Pembroke, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Roberts admitted riding a Symphony 125 moped on The Green, Pembroke, on April 17. A sample of his blood contained not less than 7.4 microgrammes of delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, per litre. Roberts pleaded guilty to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit. Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 12 months and imposed a fine of £80. He was also ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £32 surcharge. The court made a collection order and authorised deductions from Roberts’ benefits. Magistrates confirmed that his guilty plea had been taken into account.a
“Next of kin have been informed and will continue to be supported by specialist officers. “The vehicle was recovered and the road re-opened at around 2.10pm.” The collision caused some of the most significant traffic disruption
of the day in Pembrokeshire, with congestion building on surrounding roads while the A40 remained closed. The Herald understands that traffic conditions began easing following the reopening of the road during the afternoon.
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Future of Pembrokeshire’s towns, housing and infrastructure goes up for debate
A MAJOR rewrite of Wales’ national planning framework could shape where homes, jobs, transport links and major infrastructure are developed in Pembrokeshire for decades to come. The Welsh Government has launched what it describes as a “national conversation” on the future of Wales as work begins on replacing the National Development Framework, the document which sits at the top of the country’s planning system. The new framework is expected to look ahead as far as 2050 and will influence Strategic Development Plans, Local Development Plans and decisions on major infrastructure schemes across Wales. For Pembrokeshire, the review could have significant consequences. Under the existing Future Wales – The National Plan 2040, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock are grouped together as the “Pembrokeshire Haven Towns”
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Regional Growth Area. That designation means the four towns are recognised as a focus for housing, employment, tourism, public transport and key services. The Haven Waterway is also identified in national policy as an important location for renewable and low-carbon energy development – an issue which has become increasingly significant as major plans for floating offshore wind, port investment and green energy projects gather pace around Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock. The new framework could therefore help determine how far Pembrokeshire grows, where new housing is concentrated and what priority is given to transport, energy, employment and infrastructure investment in the county. A consultation launched on
Wednesday (August 19) will run until November 20 and asks residents, councils, businesses and other organisations to comment on how the new national plan should be drawn up. Issues being considered include the homes and community facilities Wales will need, where jobs and investment should be focused, future transport and digital connectivity, climate and nature, the Welsh language and cultural identity, and how planning can contribute to health and wellbeing. Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Siân Gwenllian said the process would look well beyond conventional planning policy. She said: “This marks the start of a national conversation about the longterm future of Wales, going beyond planning policy to explore the role that places, communities, infrastructure, the environment and culture should play in shaping our nation’s future to
2050. “It is part of this Government’s commitment to work with local authorities and regional partners to develop a new Framework that meets Wales’s needs, empowers local government, and reduces costs, bureaucracy and duplication. “I strongly encourage everyone with an interest in the future of their community, town, city, region and nation to take part.” Ms Gwenllian said the Welsh Government wanted to move towards a more community-centred planning system in which residents had a greater say over development. She added: “Our aim is to move towards a community-centred approach to planning that gives communities a real say on how we secure the homes, workplaces and infrastructure we need, and the National Development Framework will play a key overarching role in how those decisions are made locally, regionally and nationally.” The consultation also raises potentially important questions for Pembrokeshire over the county’s place within the wider Welsh economy. While the existing plan recognises the Haven towns as a Regional Growth Area, larger areas including Swansea Bay are afforded National Growth Area status. The review could therefore reopen debate about whether Pembrokeshire’s growing role in renewable energy, the strategic importance of the Haven Waterway and planned investment around Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock should result in greater national prominence in future planning policy. It will also be closely watched in rural parts of the county, where housing pressures, second homes, tourism, transport links and the availability of employment remain longstanding concerns. The consultation forms only the second stage of what is expected to be an approximately four-year process. A series of public events will be held across Wales during September and October, with the final replacement National Development Framework currently expected to be published in winter 2029/30. The current framework, Future Wales – The National Plan 2040, was adopted in 2021. Residents and organisations can respond to the consultation through the Welsh Government website before November 20.
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Arrest warrant issued over alleged A477 drug-driving offence AN ARREST warrant has been issued for a Kent man accused of drug-driving on the A477. Dale Brown, aged 40, of 16 Denton Street, Gravesend, had been due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Brown is accused of driving a BMW on the A477 in Pembrokeshire on March 2. The charge alleges that his blood
contained 160 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine per litre. Prosecutors allege that the reading exceeded the specified legal limit. No plea is recorded on the court register. Magistrates issued a warrant for Brown’s arrest without bail. The court recorded that the alleged offence carries a potential sentence of imprisonment.
Man fined and ordered to compensate owner of damaged door
A MAN has been ordered to compensate the owner of a door he damaged at a Haverfordwest property. Nicholas Prevett, aged 40 and of no fixed address, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Prevett admitted damaging a door at Highfield Manor, Haverfordwest, on February 28. The door belonged to Francis Waters and the damage was valued at £200.
Prevett pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage without lawful excuse, either intending to damage the property or being reckless as to whether damage would be caused. Magistrates fined him £80 and ordered him to pay Mr Waters £200 compensation. Prevett must also pay £85 prosecution costs. The court confirmed that his guilty plea had been taken into account.
Warrant issued over alleged drug-driving AN ARREST warrant has been issued for a Cardiff man accused of drugdriving on the Cleddau Bridge. Rawand Mohammad, aged 27, of 79 Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, had been due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Aug 18). Mohammad is accused of driving a Range Rover Evoque on the A477 Cleddau Bridge at Pembroke Dock on January 31. The charge alleges that a sample
of his blood contained not less than 2.4 microgrammes of delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, per litre of blood. Prosecutors allege that the reading exceeded the specified legal limit. No plea is recorded on the court register. Magistrates issued a warrant for Mohammad’s arrest without bail. The court recorded that the alleged offence is punishable by imprisonment in the case of an adult defendant.
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Salmonella concerns raise fresh questions over origin of eggs CONCERNS over the sourcing of imported eggs have prompted fresh calls for greater transparency in restaurants, cafés and pubs, after new research found seven in ten people are unaware that some food businesses may use eggs produced to lower welfare standards overseas. RSPCA Assured says customers eating out can have little idea where the eggs in their meal have come from, or how the hens which laid them were kept. The organisation has highlighted the issue amid recent concerns over salmonella and imported eggs, although animal welfare standards and food safety are separate issues. Research commissioned by RSPCA Assured and carried out by YouGov found that 72% of adults did not know some UK cafés, restaurants and food manufacturers may use imported eggs from hens kept in conventional battery cages. Conventional battery cages have been prohibited for egg production in the UK since 2012, but food businesses can legally use imported eggs and egg products produced under different welfare standards. Unlike eggs bought by consumers in supermarkets, restaurants and catering businesses are not generally required to tell customers the country of origin or production method of eggs used as ingredients. The survey of 2,090 UK adults found a striking difference between consumer behaviour in supermarkets and when eating out.
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More than four in five respondents said they check egg labels every time they shop to see how they were produced, while just 4% said they always ask food venues where their food comes from. Eight in ten believed restaurants and other food businesses should be required to tell customers where the animal products they use originate. The survey also found 72% would be unlikely to continue eating at a venue if they discovered it was serving imported lower-welfare eggs. Toby Baker, executive director at RSPCA Assured, said: “The recent salmonella outbreak and possible link to imported eggs is deeply concerning. Our
thoughts are with everyone affected. “This outbreak also brings into focus a separate issue that our research has highlighted – people have very little information about where the eggs they are served when eating out come from or how the hens that laid them were reared. “The UK has a strong history of clear egg labelling in supermarkets, giving shoppers an informed choice when it comes to eggs – but this is completely lost when we eat out. “Under the current system, we’re eating in the dark, potentially consuming lower-welfare imported animal products we would never choose ourselves.” Shell eggs sold directly to shoppers carry a code identifying their production method, country of origin and producer,
allowing consumers to distinguish between different farming systems. That level of information is much less visible once eggs enter catering and food manufacturing. Government figures cited by RSPCA Assured show the scale of the market, with the UK importing substantial quantities of both shell eggs and processed egg products. Mr Baker added: “Our stats speak for themselves; people have no idea this is happening, and the vast majority would choose to eat elsewhere if they knew a restaurant or café was using eggs from hens kept in battery cages.” RSPCA Assured is calling for core animal welfare standards to be incorporated into future government trade policy and negotiations, arguing that British farmers operating to higher standards should not be undercut by imports produced under conditions which would not be permitted domestically. The organisation says greater transparency would also allow consumers to make more informed choices when eating away from home. RSPCA Assured farms do not permit cages and must meet welfare requirements covering areas including enrichment, perches and opportunities for natural behaviours such as dustbathing. The YouGov research was carried out online between March 13 and 16 this year, with the results weighted to be representative of UK adults aged 18 and over.
More than 1,000 air-conditioning faults reported on Welsh trains
MORE than 1,000 air-conditioning faults have been reported on Transport for Wales trains since April, according to figures obtained by the Welsh Liberal Democrats. A Freedom of Information response issued by TfW on August 13 recorded
1,018 reported faults: 85 in April, 217 in May, 350 in June, 300 in July and 66 during August. TfW said 894 faults had been closed over the same period. The Welsh Liberal Democrats said the difference suggested 124 cases may still have
been unresolved, although the FOI response did not explicitly confirm the number of outstanding faults. The figures show reports increasing sharply as temperatures rose, with the highest monthly total recorded in June. The party said it was particularly concerned because many trains operating across the TfW network are new or have only recently entered service. It warned that unreliable air conditioning could undermine passengers’ confidence and damage the experience of visitors travelling by rail to destinations including Pembrokeshire, Aberystwyth and the North Wales coast during the busy summer season. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS said: “We’ve heard from passengers who have been left sweltering on trains during the recent hot weather. “More than 1,000 air-conditioning faults in a matter of months simply isn’t good enough, especially when so
many of the trains now running on the network are brand new. “Visitors travelling to places like Aberystwyth, Pembrokeshire and the North Wales coast shouldn’t have their first experience of Wales be sitting on a sweltering train with broken air conditioning.” The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on TfW to deal urgently with any unresolved faults. They also want the Welsh Government to require an action plan explaining how the reliability of airconditioning systems will be improved. Ms Dodds added: “Passengers and the wider public need confidence that Wales has the infrastructure and resilience to cope with extreme weather, rather than seeing parts of the country grind to a halt whenever temperatures rise.” The FOI response does not identify the routes or types of train affected, nor does it establish how long individual faults remained open or whether every reported fault resulted in a loss of cooling for passengers.
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WEDDINGS AND EVENTS 2025 & 2026
For information on our wedding packages or to book a meeting at the venue please email: jenna@nelsonmilford.com
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Welsh Government pledges to be tourism sector’s ‘biggest supporter’ Adam Price says ministers will work with businesses to build a world-class visitor economy as changes to the controversial 182-day rule and business rates are considered
THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has pledged to work more closely with tourism businesses as it considers changes to the rules governing self-catering accommodation and wider reform of business rates. Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price said he wants the government to become the tourism industry’s “biggest supporter”, arguing that a stronger relationship with operators will be essential if Wales is to become a world-class visitor destination. The comments come amid continued concern within the tourism sector over rising costs and the impact of Welsh Government policies, including the requirement for selfcatering properties to be available to let for at least 252 days and actually occupied for at least 182 days each year in order to qualify for nondomestic rates. The Welsh Government is now consulting on possible changes to the 182-day threshold, while ministers have also committed to
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examining reforms to business rates affecting the hospitality and leisure sectors. Mr Price recently met the chairs of Wales’ four Regional Tourism Fora and said further discussions with representatives of the industry are planned. Speaking during a visit to the Elan Valley Visitor Centre on Tuesday (Aug 18), he said: “I want this Welsh Government to be tourism’s biggest supporter. “We want to work with the sector to make Wales a world-class visitor destination – offering an authentic ‘croeso’ while helping businesses to grow, innovate and succeed. “Tourism is vitally important to the Welsh economy, generating around 4.3% of Wales’ GVA, worth £3.5 billion, and over 11% of jobs each year. “It sustains communities, supports jobs and helps share Wales’ culture,
language and landscape with the world.” The minister said the government’s willingness to revisit both business rates and the 182-day rule demonstrated its intention to listen to the industry. He added: “I would encourage as many people in the industry as possible to take part in that consultation. “I want to hear directly from tourism businesses about the challenges they face and the opportunities they see, and I have started meeting representatives from across the sector this summer.” Mr Price said Wales already possessed an “outstanding visitor offer” but argued government and industry needed to work together to help businesses grow. He said: “By working together, I believe we can make it easier for businesses to do what they do best, help the sector thrive and ensure more people choose Wales as a place to visit, enjoy and return to.”
Tourism leaders welcome early talks The four Regional Tourism Fora represent tourism operators from across Wales and provide independent feedback to the Welsh Government through the Visit Wales structure. Speaking on behalf of the four chairs, Mid Wales Forum chairman Steve Hughson MBE welcomed what he described as an encouraging start to discussions with the new minister. He said: “We were pleased with early engagement by Adam Price, Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, recently in Cardiff. “It was a positive meeting with our new Minister who indicated his strong support for the sector.” Mr Hughson particularly welcomed the consultation into non-domestic rates for self-catering properties. However, he said the industry wanted to see substantial changes emerge from the process. He said: “It must deliver meaningful reductions in the current 182-day threshold, alongside workable exemptions, creating the environment where tourism can help deliver the government’s productivity and growth strategies.” He added that the Tourism Fora would continue working with ministers in an effort to create “a more positive and sustainable outlook” for the visitor economy. Tourism-related industries contributed an estimated £3.5 billion to the Welsh economy in 2023, equivalent to around 4.3% of Welsh gross value added. The sector also accounted for approximately 150,000 jobs in 2024 – around 11.1% of employment in Wales. The four regional forum chairs are Rachel Cilliers for South East Wales, Michael Bewick for North Wales, George Reid for West Wales and Steve Hughson for Mid Wales.
Pembroke Dock driver due in court over alleged cannabis drug-drive offence A PEMBROKE DOCK man is due back before magistrates over an allegation of drug-driving. Daniel Purser, 32, of Grove Street, Pennar, is accused of driving a blue Vauxhall Corsa in Pennar Court, Pembroke Dock, on March 23 with Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol — the active component of cannabis — above the specified legal limit in his blood.
The court record alleges a reading of 3.2 micrograms per litre of blood. The case was listed at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 17, but was adjourned. No plea was entered. Purser is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on August 25 for a plea hearing. The allegation has not been proved.
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Jack the spaniel rescued after swimming out to sea off West Wales coast Milford Haven Coastguard tasked New Quay RNLI after the dog broke free from its owner and began swimming away from the beach at Aberarth A SPANIEL was safely rescued by an RNLI lifeboat after snatching its lead from its owner and swimming out to sea off the Ceredigion coast. New Quay RNLI was tasked by Milford Haven Coastguard at 5:47pm on Monday (Aug 17), following a 999 call reporting a dog in difficulty at Aberarth. The call came at the end of an already busy day for the volunteer crew, who had spent the afternoon carrying out training and assessments. Their inshore lifeboat had only just been recovered, washed down and prepared to return to service when the crew’s pagers sounded. The dog, a spaniel named Jack, had pulled the lead from his owner’s hand while on the beach before entering the water and swimming further out to sea. The inshore lifeboat launched and arrived at the scene within around 15 minutes, where the crew spotted Jack swimming in the direction of Aberaeron. RNLI crews said dogs in the water can sometimes become frightened by the sight and sound of the charity’s bright orange lifeboats and attempt to swim away from rescuers. Jack, however, appeared to have become cold and tired during his unexpected swim and was more than
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happy to accept a lift. He was brought safely aboard the
lifeboat before being returned to shore and reunited with his relieved owners. New Quay RNLI reminded members of the public not to put themselves at risk if a pet gets into difficulty in the
water. Anyone who sees a person or animal in trouble on the coast or at sea should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Picture: New Quay RNLI
Council says removed carpet cost taxpayers nothing extra PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has defended the removal of newly fitted carpet from an empty property in Pembroke Dock, saying the replacement resulted in no additional cost to taxpayers. Photographs posted on social media showed rolls of apparently new carpet outside the King Street property, prompting criticism from residents. The original post alleged that the carpet had been fitted before being ripped out because it was “too thick”, and claimed it was destined for a skip. However, the council said the carpet had actually been removed because its texture and pile construction did not meet the required Welsh Housing Quality Standard. The authority confirmed that the property is council-owned and was being processed as a void property before being allocated to new tenants. As part of that process, work was undertaken to bring the house up to the standard required for social housing in Wales. A council spokesperson said: “The original carpet installation undertaken as part of the property upgrade works did not meet the required Welsh
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Housing Quality Standard. “As a result, the carpets were removed and replaced to ensure compliance with Welsh Government guidelines and the required WHQS specification.” The council said the problem resulted from an error in the product specification provided by its principal contractor. Building maintenance officers identified the issue and worked with the contractor to have the incorrectly specified flooring removed and replaced. The authority said the remedial work was covered within the original works agreement and did not result in any additional cost beyond what the council would have paid for the correct carpet in the first place. It also denied that the removed carpet had simply been thrown away, saying it was repurposed by the principal contractor. The council added: “This situation arose as part of the process of bringing
an empty property up to the required Welsh Housing Quality Standard. “Once the issue was identified by PCC building maintenance officers, it was promptly addressed in coordination with the contractor. “The necessary remedial works were completed within the scope of the
original works specification and did not result in any additional cost to the council.” The authority said it would continue communicating with contractors about product specifications and service expectations to ensure future work met the required standards.
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New TaithCymru coach service to link north and south Wales Daily Bangor-to-Carmarthen route will cut journey times and connect communities across west Wales
A NEW daily coach service linking north and south Wales will launch this autumn, with services between Bangor and Carmarthen due to begin
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on Sunday, October 25.
Named TaithCymru, the longdistance service will call at Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, Aberystwyth and Aberaeron, creating a new direct public-transport link through the west of the country. The Welsh Government says the route will cut journey times by more than an hour and improve access to jobs, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities for people living along the corridor. Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Tuesday, October 6, through a new online booking system being developed and operated by Transport for Wales. Fares are still being finalised and will be
confirmed when the system goes live. The service is one of the Welsh Government’s 100-day commitments and forms part of wider plans for a more integrated public-transport network across Wales. It will work alongside existing TrawsCymru routes, local bus services and Fflecsi provision. Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper said: “I am delighted that we have delivered on our 100-day commitment to prepare to launch a new coach service linking the north and the south of Wales. “Transport for Wales has worked at pace to deliver this scheme, which I am pleased to announce will launch on October 25. “TaithCymru plays a vitally important role in connecting towns and communities, making it a quicker, easier and more reliable way to travel to access work, education and leisure.” Transport for Wales said the service would provide a faster and more sustainable alternative to car travel, while helping connect regional centres and rural communities. Lee Robinson, TfW’s Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration, said TaithCymru marked “a major step forward” for north-south connectivity. He said: “This new service will provide faster, more convenient and more sustainable journeys, helping people access employment, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities while supporting our wider ambition of creating a truly integrated public transport network for Wales.” As well as serving communities along the route, the coach service is expected to support more sustainable tourism to destinations including Eryri National Park, the Llŷn Peninsula and Cardigan Bay.
RSPCA appeals for information after ‘dog struck’ repeatedly outside Carmarthen station
THE RSPCA is appealing for information following an alleged incident in which a dog was repeatedly struck outside Carmarthen railway station. RSPCA Cymru said the incident happened at around 10:45am on Wednesday, July 29, and was captured on CCTV. According to information provided to the
animal welfare charity, a man was seen allegedly kneeing the dog in the side more than ten times. RSPCA Inspector Natalie Avery said: “We understand this dog was repeatedly struck and inappropriately handled. We really do hope this dog is okay. “We’d like to thank the person who reported this to us, as the information provided by members of the public – who are our eyes and ears – is so important.” As part of its investigation, the RSPCA has released an image of a man who was in the area at the time and who investigators believe may be able to provide important information. Inspector Avery added: “We’re asking anyone who was in the area to come forward, or anyone who recognises the man in the pictures to contact us. “We’d like to speak to him as we believe he may be able to help our investigation.” Anyone with information is asked to contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference 1867218.
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Volunteers fill 13 builders’ bags during Frainslake beach clean MORE than 50 volunteers joined forces to remove a substantial amount of litter from Frainslake Beach on the Castlemartin Range. A total of 53 people took part in the clean-up on Sunday (Aug 16), filling 13 large builders’ bags with waste collected from the beach and surrounding shoreline. The team included members of the public alongside Pathways Volunteers, the Friends of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Keep Wales Tidy. Photographs from the day show volunteers working among large quantities of driftwood and other debris washed onto the remote stretch of coastline. Once the clean-up had been completed, staff from Landmarc Support Services collected the filled bags and transported them to a waste sorting station. The contents will now be separated, with all suitable materials sent for recycling. Pembrokeshire Coast thanked everyone who gave up their time to support the effort, describing the turnout as “incredible”.
Tenby Freemasons donate £1,000 to Paul Sartori Foundation TENBY FREEMASONS have continued their longstanding support for the Paul Sartori Foundation with a further donation of £1,000. Tenby Lodge raised around £500 at a casino night held at Tenby Masonic Hall earlier this year, with members and their partners embracing the occasion in Peaky Blinders-themed fancy dress. Lodge member Joe Taylor, who organised the event, supplied the casino equipment and decorated the hall, asked for the money to be donated to the Pembrokeshire hospice-at-home charity. The Lodge Committee agreed to match the sum from its charitable funds, taking the total contribution to £1,000. Founded in 1981, the Paul Sartori Foundation provides free hospice-athome services to people aged 18 and over who are living with life-limiting illnesses in Pembrokeshire. Its mission is to promote highquality end-of-life care and enable patients to remain in their own homes wherever possible. Its services include home nursing care, physiotherapy, equipment loans and training for healthcare professionals. The charity’s work has particular significance for Tenby Lodge, with
some members having relied on its support while caring for seriously ill partners. One senior member said: “The Paul Sartori nurses are currently providing care for my wife, who is suffering from
dementia and COPD. “I cannot fault their service or thank them enough. Without them, I would be lost.” Another lodge member, whose wife died several years ago, was so
grateful for the help they received that he has remained friends with Paul Sartori volunteers and regularly joins them at fundraising events.
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Tenby Round Table turns cancelled event day into hospital clean-up Volunteers spent their unexpected free Sunday tidying the grounds of Tenby Cottage Hospital MEMBERS of Tenby Round Table put an unexpected gap in their summer calendar to good use by carrying out a community clean-up at Tenby Cottage Hospital. The group had originally expected to be busy staging one of its popular Summer Spectacular events, but said its licence to hold the fundraisers had been revoked by Pembrokeshire County Council. Rather than letting the day go to waste, volunteers picked up their tools and headed to the hospital, where they spent several hours tidying the surrounding grounds. Tenby Round Table said members felt the outdoor areas did not reflect the high standard of care provided by staff inside the hospital. In a post titled “An Unspectacular Sunday”, the group said: “Our members decided not to waste the opportunity to do something for our community, so we set our sights on Tenby Cottage Hospital. “We’ve noticed that the hospital grounds don’t match the superb work the staff inside do for Tenby and its visitors.
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“After a few hours of hard work, we hope you’ll agree that it’s looking a lot tidier.” The Round Table added that,
despite the setback affecting its Summer Spectaculars, members remained determined to support the local community through volunteering and charitable work. It said: “While we might have been stopped from raising charitable
funds for our community, we’re still keen to put in the work for it.” Tenby Round Table continues to accept donations towards its charitable fundraising through its online PayPal donation page.
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Thousands turn out for Cardigan River and Food Festival
Organisers praise volunteers, traders and performers after another successful celebration beside the River Teifi THOUSANDS of visitors descended on Cardigan on Saturday (Aug 15) as the town’s River and Food Festival returned for its 26th year. The popular annual event, held around Quay Street and the riverside, brought together Welsh food and drink producers, local businesses, chefs and entertainers for a packed day of activity. Organisers said they had been “completely blown away” by the turnout and atmosphere, with visitors arriving throughout the day to sample local produce, browse stalls and enjoy live entertainment. The festival traditionally attracts thousands of people to Cardigan and has become one of the highlights of the town’s summer calendar. Cooking demonstrations formed part of this year’s programme, with chefs Ludo Dieumegard and Mandy Walters showcasing locally sourced and Welsh ingredients. Music, singing and dancing also
featured throughout the day, while traders and producers offered a wide range of food, drink and locally made goods.
Following the event, organisers thanked the volunteers and site staff who worked behind the scenes, as well as the chefs, performers and
businesses which helped make the festival possible. They said: “What an incredible day. We are completely blown away by the amazing turnout and energy you all brought to the Cardigan River and Food Festival. “A massive thank you to everyone who came out to eat, support local vendors and share the fun with us. You made today truly unforgettable.” Visitors have also been encouraged to share photographs from the day, with organisers planning to feature some of their favourites over the coming week. Planning is already beginning for next year’s event, with the festival team saying they are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to Cardigan once again. The River and Food Festival has developed into a major showcase for local producers and businesses, while also celebrating Cardigan’s riverside setting and strong community spirit.
Seven-year-old helps councillor clear rubbish from Pembroke Dock cemetery
A PEMBROKE DOCK councillor has called for tougher action against littering after he and his seven-year-old son spent Friday morning clearing rubbish from a local park and cemetery. Cllr Jamie Street was joined by his son Harry at Park Street Park and Cemetery, where the pair filled two large bin bags with discarded waste. Photographs from the cleanup show litter among overgrown vegetation beside historic gravestones, with rubbish apparently left immediately alongside some of the headstones. Cllr Street said he was pleased they had been able to improve the area, but questioned why a young child should have to spend his morning picking up rubbish left behind by others.
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He said: “Between us we filled two bin bags, which is great for the park, but I’d rather my seven-year-old didn’t spend a morning picking up after other people, as willing as he was.” The councillor said he would continue pressing for bins to be placed in appropriate locations and for stronger enforcement and fines against people who leave their rubbish behind. “We should all take pride in our local parks and public spaces,” he said. Cllr Street also highlighted the regular community litter picks already taking place in Pembroke Dock and said he hoped support from local
Cllr Jamie Street and his seven-year-old son Harry collected two bags of rubbish from Park Street Park and Cemetery in Pembroke Dock businesses and organisations could help those efforts continue to grow. The two bags collected during Friday’s clean-up were later removed with the assistance of Pembroke Dock Town Council. Cllr Street said the issue of litter and the provision of bins is due to be discussed by the town council next month. He thanked Harry for helping with the clean-up and said he would continue pushing for action to protect and improve local public spaces.
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Rhos celebrates 40 years of village horticultural show Anniversary event looks back on four decades of flowers, vegetables, crafts and community spirit A PEMBROKESHIRE village has celebrated four decades of flowers, vegetables, crafts and community spirit as the Rhos Horticultural Show marked its 40th anniversary. Despite a long, hot and exceptionally dry summer making growing conditions difficult, organisers were delighted with the number and quality of entries at this year’s event, held in the village hall and an adjoining marquee. The anniversary show was organised by The Rhos and District Association (TRADA), with longstanding member Tydfil Morgan invited to officially open proceedings. Few people were better placed to do so. Tydfil has been involved with every Rhos show held during the past 40 years and used her opening address to recall how the event began in 1986. The first shows were organised by Rhos WI and held in the former village school, which had closed the previous year. Over the decades, the event has occupied an assortment of memorable venues, including a borrowed Scouts’ tent, a cattle shed at Rose Castle, a WI member’s garden, a marquee in the grounds of Picton Castle and the old village hall. Perhaps the most memorable arrangement came when the show
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secretaries had to operate from a cattle box — which Tydfil’s family spent two days cleaning before it could be pressed into service. In more recent years the show has been organised by TRADA from the new village hall, continuing a tradition which has become firmly established in the local calendar.
The anniversary celebrations did not end with the presentation of the trophies, with competitors, organisers and supporters later enjoying a barbecue, disco and social evening in the hall and marquee. Trophy winners Picton Perpetual Challenge Cup for Vegetables: Linda Screen. Judge: Wynne Evans. Jim Griffiths Cup for Flowers: Pat
Bannister. Judge: Linda Screen. Les and Anthony Evans Cup for Patio Pot: Dr Bryn Barton. Judge: Linda Screen. Mrs Duncan Drew Cup for Floral Art: Jane Roscoe. Judge: Elsa Hancock. UBS Community Council Challenge Cup for Cookery: Pat Bannister. Judge: Ann Leech. The Philipps Family Egg Cup: Julie Davies. Judge: Roseanna Mathias. Rhos WI Shield for Preserves: Matthew Giles. Judge: Ann Leech. Winifred Evans Shield for Honey: Mandy Giles. Judge: Hywel Thomas. Craft Cup: Sue Jones. Judge: Cathy Arthur. Mid County Cup for Photography: Mandy Giles. Judge: Martin Morris. School House Trophy for Children’s Classes: Carys Calan. Judge: Sue Jones. Iwan Griffiths Cup for Rocket Decoration and Flight: Prim Williams. Judge: Sue Jones. Lady Jean Cup for most points by a WI member: Mandy Giles. Rhos Garden Centre Cup for most points by a non-WI member: Linda Screen. Picton Castle and Gardens 2026 Special Cup for Miniature Garden: Ianto Evans. Judges: Roddy and Nicky Milne.
Temporary campsite plans at north Pembrokeshire community refused A CALL for a temporary campsite at a north Pembrokeshire community has been turned down, but the applicants are still able to submit a formal planning application. In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Brithdir Mawr Community sought permission for a temporary campsite at Brithdir Mawr, Cilgwyn Road, Newport under permitted development rights, a potential exception to the Park’s Article 4(1) Direction on permitted rights. An officer report recommending refusal said the holding, centred around Brithdir Mawr, a Grade-II-Listed farmhouse, would see the proposed campsite occupying an existing pasture field adjoining the farmstead. It said: “Planning permission is sought for the temporary use of the land as a recreational campsite for tents for a maximum period of 28 days in any calendar year. The proposal includes the siting of temporary camping pitches together with associated temporary facilities, including toilet and waste management arrangements, to serve the campsite during its period of
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operation.” It went on to detail Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s introduction of an Article 4(1) Direction, which came into effect on
January 1, removing camping and caravan permitted development rights throughout the Park. Welsh Government later introduced a new planning class BA which grants permitted development rights for the temporary use of land as a recreational campsite for up to 28 days in any
calendar year within a National Park, subject to compliance with specified limitations and conditions, including the submission of a prior notification application to the Local Planning Authority. However, the report said this new Welsh Government guidance “confirms that Class BA permitted development rights do not apply where development is proposed within 100 metres of a protected dwelling occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator, or where development is on the site of a listed building,” the report said. It added: “The submitted location plan indicates that neighbouring dwellings are located within 100 metres of the proposed campsite and includes Brithdir Mawr, a listed building, within the application site. Consequently, the proposal would not benefit from Class BA permitted development rights.” The application was refused, the report concluding it did not meet the BA criteria, and “as such, a full planning application will be required”.
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MILFORD HAVEN WEEKENDER
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WHAT A WEEKEND!
Sunshine draws crowds to Milford Waterfront Weekender
Three-day celebration brings live music, local traders and festival atmosphere to Mackerel Quay CROWDS flocked to Milford Waterfront over the weekend as the popular Weekender returned for three days of food, drink and live entertainment. The free-entry event, held at Mackerel Quay from Friday (Aug 14) until Sunday (Aug 16), enjoyed bright sunshine as families, friends and visitors gathered beside the Milford Haven
Waterway. Picnic tables were filled throughout the weekend, while queues formed at street-food stalls offering flavours from across Wales and further afield. Businesses served everything from stone-baked pizzas, loaded fries and American-style barbecue to Mexican, Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Those looking for something sweet could choose from homemade cheesecakes, Welsh cakes, crêpes, ice cream and other desserts, while freshly made lemonade, locally produced spirits and a fully stocked bar kept visitors refreshed. Pembrokeshire businesses were strongly represented, with traders including Barti
Rum, The Pembrokeshire Cheesecake Co, Plumstone Welshcakes and The Scoop among those taking part. Alongside the food and drink was a busy programme of live entertainment on the main stage, powered by TCW Engineering. Performers appearing across the three days included Ryan Bristow, Big Chicken, Fox & Hound, Kyle Kirkhouse, The Locals, Just Dylan, Jake Taylor and Kai Roberts. Saturday evening’s programme featured Ben Vickery, followed by headline act 4th Street, while DJ Mik Kebab kept the music going with a mixture of house, electronic and well-known tracks. Market traders also offered local produce,
crafts and gifts, giving visitors another opportunity to support independent businesses from Pembrokeshire and south-west Wales. The family-friendly event was organised by Milford Waterfront in partnership with Coast Event Partners and marked the Weekender’s third year. Businesses elsewhere around the Waterfront also remained open throughout the weekend, allowing visitors to explore the area’s shops, cafés, restaurants and other attractions. With sunshine overhead, live music carrying across the marina and Mackerel Quay filled with visitors, the Weekender once again brought a festival atmosphere to Milford Haven.
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MILFORD HAVEN WEEKENDER WHAT A WEEKEND!
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Older people’s poverty ‘deeply concerning’, warns Wales Commissioner POVERTY among older people is continuing to rise, with older women and people living alone among those most affected, Wales’ Older People’s Commissioner has warned. Rhian Bowen-Davies was responding to new analysis by former Pensions Minister Steve Webb, which highlights growing financial hardship in later life. The Commissioner said the findings echoed her own poverty report, published in November 2025, and added to the case for urgent action. “It is deeply concerning that poverty amongst older people continues to rise,” she said. “The findings reflect those shared in my own report on poverty, particularly the extent to which poverty impacts older women and single households, providing further evidence of why we need far greater action to tackle this issue.” She said poverty posed wellestablished risks to older people’s health, wellbeing and independence, and called for action both to reform the pensions system in the long term and support those already struggling. The Second Pension Commission,
which is examining the future of pensions, offers an opportunity to ensure retirement incomes are sufficient and sustainable, she said. In evidence submitted to the Commission, the Commissioner has argued that healthy life expectancy must be central to decisions on the State Pension age. She also said retirement-income policy must take account of housing and wider living costs, and should not
deepen existing inequalities. But Ms Bowen-Davies said immediate measures were equally important, including making it easier for older people to claim the financial support to which they are entitled. She renewed her call to end the Pension Credit “cliff edge”, which can leave people just above the eligibility threshold missing out on help worth thousands of pounds a year. The Commissioner also highlighted
the need to tackle underlying causes of poverty, including through major improvements in home energy efficiency. “This is particularly important here in Wales, which has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe,” she said. She wants the Welsh Government to create a Resilience Fund to provide emergency support for older people facing financial hardship but who do not qualify for other assistance. Ms Bowen-Davies said she had urged ministers to introduce the fund as a matter of urgency and was awaiting a response. “Tackling poverty should not be seen as a cost, but rather an investment,” she said. She pointed to the estimated £40m annual cost to the NHS associated with cold homes alone, arguing that preventing crises caused by poverty could release resources for services and communities. “That’s why I will continue to make the case for decisive, coordinated action both nationally and locally to tackle poverty, support older people and help create a fairer, healthier and more inclusive Wales.”
Pembrokeshire Chess Club returns after summer break PEMBROKESHIRE Chess Club will reopen after its summer recess on Tuesday, August 25, with an open evening at Kensington Court, Steynton, Milford Haven. The club meets from 6:00pm and welcomes junior and adult players, including complete beginners, people returning to the game and experienced competitors. Members can enjoy friendly games, take part in the club championship and, if they choose, represent the club in league and cup fixtures. Coaching for both juniors and adults is normally available during the first hour of the evening. The return follows a successful weekend for several of the club’s younger players at the chess festival held at Pembroke Castle. Henry Burton finished second in the under-12 section, while Harry Harling and Osian Griffiths competed in the under-16 event. Harry scored 3½ points from seven games, with Osian scoring three points from seven. Both have a further three years remaining in the age group. The club also congratulated the competition winners, including Jai Hrithvik Adithya Are, and players from Llanelli White Knights Chess Club, Vismith and Cynan.
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There was also a fond farewell for junior member Henry Burton and his parents, Yan and Andrew, who have
moved to Staffordshire. Henry will retain his Welsh Chess Union federation and is expected to continue playing in Welsh tournaments. His parents said Pembrokeshire Chess Club had been “fantastic” for
Henry over recent years, helping him develop his chess while making “many fond memories and good friends”. Anyone interested in joining can contact Pembrokeshire Chess Club through its Facebook page.
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Record number of adults contact NSPCC overchildrenexperiencingdomesticabuse Charity says more than 8,400 concerns were raised in a year as almost one in three resulted in referrals to police or social services
A record number of adults have contacted the NSPCC with concerns about children experiencing domestic abuse, new figures have revealed. The children’s charity said its Helpline handled 8,448 child welfare contacts across the UK where domestic abuse was the main concern between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. That represents an increase of eight per cent on the previous year and a rise of more than 80 per cent compared with 2021/22, when the NSPCC began recording the data separately. Almost a third of the contacts — 2,709 cases — resulted in referrals to local agencies including police and children’s social services. The figures show a substantial increase in concerns being raised about children living with or experiencing domestic abuse. In 2021/22, the NSPCC recorded 4,599 contacts. The figure stood at 4,412 the following year before rising sharply to 6,838 in 2023/24, 7,825 in 2024/25 and 8,448 last year. The NSPCC said domestic abuse can take many forms, including coercive control and emotional, verbal, physical and financial abuse. Children who see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse are recognised as victims in their own right under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
The charity warned that exposure to abuse can have a lasting impact on children’s wellbeing and behaviour. Possible signs can include aggression, anti-social behaviour, bed wetting, attention seeking, tantrums, becoming withdrawn and experiencing problems at school. One person in Wales who contacted the NSPCC Helpline described becoming concerned after witnessing the treatment of a friend by her partner. The caller said the man had allegedly hit the woman in front of her children on more than one occasion and that the woman, who was pregnant, believed she needed to remain in the relationship. The caller had offered her friend somewhere to stay but contacted the NSPCC seeking advice on how to provide support without putting her at greater risk. The NSPCC said its specially trained Helpline advisers can speak to anybody worried that a child may be experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse, including physical violence and coercive or controlling behaviour. Paddi Vint, NSPCC Helpline Service Head, said: “It’s alarming that we are seeing record levels of adults contacting our Helpline about a child experiencing domestic abuse. “Domestic abuse is often hidden, with stigma and shame making it harder to ask for help. Children
and young people might also feel frightened and confused, keeping the abuse to themselves. “If you’re worried about a child, you can speak to our free NSPCC Helpline in complete confidence. Reaching out can be the first step to help families begin to move forward.” The charity has also shared the experience of a mother, whose identity has been changed to protect her privacy, who suffered years of abuse from her former husband. She described how abuse which initially involved controlling and psychologically abusive behaviour later became physical and was also directed towards the couple’s two children. She said the children became subdued and withdrawn before police helped the family reach a safe house. The children later took part in an NSPCC domestic abuse programme. Their mother said: “The light has come back into their eyes. They
changed from quiet and subdued children to boisterous and playful – like they’ve released whatever they’d been holding on to.” She urged other parents experiencing similar circumstances to seek support. The NSPCC stressed that its figures relate to child welfare contacts rather than individual children or families, meaning there can be more than one contact relating to the same case. Contacts can also come from different people in a child’s life, including relatives, neighbours, carers and professionals. Anyone concerned about the welfare of a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline free on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children and young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or through the Childline website. If an adult or child is in immediate danger, call 999.
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HAVERFORDWEST CARNIVAL 2026
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Floats, fancy dress, live music and family entertainment
Haverfordwest turns out in force for carnival Floats, fancy dress, live music and family entertainment fill the county town as revived celebrations reach their finale HAVERFORDWEST was filled with colour, music and carnival spirit on Saturday (Aug 15) as the county town brought its first Civic Week in seven years to a lively conclusion. Crowds lined the streets to watch floats, costumed walkers and community groups make their way through Haverfordwest before the celebrations continued at Picton Playing Fields with live entertainment, fairground rides, food and family activities. Organisers had already described the response to float entries as making this the biggest Haverfordwest carnival parade yet, and Saturday saw considerable effort on display from those who had spent weeks preparing costumes, decorating vehicles and putting together their entries. The procession left County Hall at 1:00pm before heading towards Salutation Square and making its way through the town centre. Spectators gathered along the route as the parade travelled through Picton Place, Victoria Place and High Street, continuing via Dew Street, Albert Street, Barn Street and Perrots Road before reaching the Bridge Meadow area. Walking groups had also assembled ahead of the procession, adding further colour and variety to the parade. It was a welcome sight for a town which went for several years without its traditional carnival. The event finally returned in 2025 following a six-year absence, attracting a large turnout and demonstrating that there remained considerable enthusiasm for bringing the carnival back to Haverfordwest. Saturday built on that comeback, with the parade forming the centrepiece of a much larger programme of community celebrations this year. Pure West Radio broadcast live from the carnival throughout the afternoon, capturing the procession, performances and prize ceremony as the action moved to Picton Playing Fields. Among the entertainment was K-Pop Demon Hunters, whose appearance attracted families to the front of the stage, while Fast Food Rockers were among the headline acts performing later in the afternoon. Local performers were also given
their chance to take centre stage, while students from Haverfordwest High Radio joined the programme as young people from the town became part of the day’s broadcasting and entertainment. Haverfordwest Mayor Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner was among those attending the celebrations and joined Pure West presenter Toby Ellis on stage during the afternoon. The programme continued throughout the day, with fairground attractions, food traders and community stalls helping to keep families at Picton Playing Fields long after the procession had finished. Prizes and trophies were presented during the afternoon in recognition of the work which had gone into the carnival entries, with organisers congratulating those who had taken part and helped make the procession possible. But the day was about considerably more than winning. For many of those taking part, Saturday represented the culmination of weeks of preparation by families,
clubs, businesses and community organisations determined to play their part in one of Haverfordwest’s biggest community events. The carnival also provided the finale to a revived Civic Week which had taken events into different parts of the town since Monday. Held under the banner “Our town, for our town, by our town”, Civic Week was brought back after a seven-year absence with the aim of celebrating the people, organisations and communities which make up Haverfordwest. The week began with Garth in the Park at Trafalgar Road Play Park, where families enjoyed football, live music, games, food and entertainment. Wednesday produced perhaps the most unusual event of the entire week when hundreds of people gathered at The Green in Prendergast for an Eclipse Extravaganza. Telescopes and specialist viewing equipment were set up as residents watched the partial solar eclipse over
Pembrokeshire, with more than 300 people reported to have attended. The celebrations moved to the Lower Racecourse on Thursday for Picnic at the Priory, offering a more relaxed afternoon of music, sport and family activities. On Friday, the focus shifted into Haverfordwest town centre, where an additional Market Day brought traders and children’s entertainment to Riverside Shopping Centre. The Mayor’s Charity Bingo at the Picton Centre then rounded off Friday’s programme before attention turned to Saturday’s carnival. Taken together, the events represented a deliberate attempt to involve different parts of Haverfordwest rather than concentrating everything in the town centre. That approach also gave local organisations, performers, volunteers and businesses an opportunity to become part of the celebrations.
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NEWS 49
HAVERFORDWEST CARNIVAL 2026
Floats, fancy dress, live music and family entertainment By Saturday afternoon, those separate events had come together for Civic Week’s biggest occasion. The sight of spectators lining Haverfordwest’s streets again, with carnival entrants making their way through the town and families gathering afterwards at Picton Playing Fields, was a reminder of why the event had been missed during its years away. The success of last year’s carnival helped provide the platform for this year’s expanded celebrations, while the return of Civic Week has now restored another tradition to Haverfordwest’s summer calendar. Much of that success has depended on the volunteers, community organisations, performers, traders, sponsors and others who gave their time to put on events throughout the week. After six days which included football, music, markets, picnics, an eclipse and finally a parade through the heart of Haverfordwest, Civic Week 2026 ended with the town doing exactly what organisers had hoped for when they revived it — coming together.
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St Davids lifeboat crew to feature in BBC’s Saving Lives at Sea ST DAVIDS RNLI volunteers will feature in the latest series of the BBC’s Saving Lives at Sea, with cameras following the rescue of a mother and daughter swept offshore on a paddleboard. The episode will be broadcast on BBC Two at 8pm on Tuesday, August 25, and will also be available on BBC iPlayer. Now in its eleventh series, the programme uses real-life rescue footage and interviews to highlight the courage and dedication of RNLI lifeboat crews and lifeguards across the UK and Ireland. The St Davids rescue began after offshore winds left the mother and daughter stranded at sea on their paddleboard. They were able to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard, prompting the St Davids RNLI crew to launch and go to their aid. Among those appearing in the episode are St Davids RNLI coxswain Will Chant, his brother and fellow volunteer Mike Chant, and volunteer crew member Jemeima Richardson. Jemeima said: “This rescue highlighted the importance of carrying
a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch and checking for offshore winds before going paddleboarding. “Fortunately, when the mother and daughter got into trouble, they were able to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard, which resulted in our crew being tasked to assist them. “Saving Lives at Sea shows viewers how lifeboat crews and lifeguards rescue those in distress at sea, and the lifesaving nature of our work. “We are delighted to feature in such a long-running and popular series alongside our fellow lifesavers from across the RNLI.” More than 30 RNLI lifeboat stations feature in the new series, together with some of the charity’s beach lifeguards. The programme combines rescue footage with interviews involving crews, lifeguards and those whose lives they have helped to save. During 2025, RNLI lifeboat crews across the UK and Ireland assisted 8,290 people and saved 272 lives. The charity’s lifeguards helped a further 36,213 people and saved 117 lives on some of the UK’s busiest beaches. Saving Lives at Sea is produced for the BBC by Blast! Films.
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Haverfordwest teenager turns love of horses into apprenticeship A HAVERFORDWEST teenager has secured an apprenticeship in horse care after turning her lifelong interest in horses into a clear career plan. Matilda Phillips, 16, was uncertain about her next step after completing her GCSEs and had been considering two very different options – working with horses or pursuing a career in beauty. She sought guidance from Careers Wales adviser Toni-Jo “TJ” Stables, who was based at her school and helped her explore the courses, apprenticeships and training opportunities available. Matilda said: “I had a few options in my head, but I didn’t know which one I actually wanted to go down. “My initial interests were between horses and beauty. TJ helped me find out where I actually wanted to go and what to do.” After researching both routes, Matilda concluded that beauty was something she would prefer to keep as a hobby, while working with horses offered the long-term future she wanted. She said: “I decided to go along with the horse route when I discovered with TJ that you could do apprenticeships through college. “I wanted to come out of school and do something that I enjoyed, but still gain a qualification and continue learning.”
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Matilda has now secured a Level 2 apprenticeship in horse care management at the same family-run business where she already works and keeps her own horse. She said: “I’m going to do an apprenticeship at the same place I’m working with now. My own horse is up there and I know them quite well. “It’s a really nice place to be because it’s like a family business.” With her plans now in place, Matilda said she feels much more confident about the future and hopes to continue developing her skills and qualifications within the equine industry. “I feel like I know what I’m doing now and I’ve got a clear path,” she said. “I’m not worrying about what I’m going to do.” She encouraged other young people who remain unsure about their next step to research several possibilities and seek professional advice. Matilda added: “Definitely explore lots of different things that you may be interested in. It’s worth looking at different options and doing research to find out what really suits you. “I would recommend that anyone who doesn’t know what they wants to
Pembrokeshire mum turns vivid dream into five-star romantic novel
A PEMBROKESHIRE mum-of-three has turned a vivid dream into her first full-length novel – with readers already awarding the book five-star reviews. Amanda Montague, 52, had been writing short stories since her youth, but it was a scene she remembered clearly after waking from a dream that finally prompted her to tackle a novel. The result is The Designer Shoe Shop by the Sea, a romantic story following heartbroken twenty-something Cara as she attempts to rebuild her life and learn to trust again. Since its release, readers have described the novel as “an absolute delight”, “a cosy romance” and “a little gem”. Amanda, a former paddle-boarding business owner, said the idea began with one particular scene.
“My inspiration for the book was a dream,” she said. “The scene where Lucca asks Cara out on a date.“I know it’s a cliché, but I remembered the scene completely when I woke, so I wrote it down, and the story developed.” The book follows Cara as an unexpected romance begins to change her outlook, exploring heartbreak, trust, instinct and the possibility of finding love again. Amanda said she deliberately wrote the novel in a highly visual way, imagining the story unfolding almost like a film. She said: “The Designer Shoe Shop by the Sea is about having your heart broken, then learning to trust again. “It’s about being totally swept off your feet without expecting it and daring to find your happy ever after. “It’s also about finding what’s important to you and trusting your instincts. “I wrote the book like it was a film, seeing each scene in my mind’s eye – even who would play each character.” Amanda counts Tracey Rees, Anne Rice and Holly Hepburn among her own favourite authors. Despite the positive response to her debut novel, she says there are currently no plans for a sequel. The Designer Shoe Shop by the Sea is available in paperback and Kindle editions through Amazon by searching for Amanda Montague.
do speaks to a careers adviser.” Careers Wales offers advice to young people considering university, apprenticeships, training or employment
through its Working Wales service. Support is available by telephone, email and webchat, as well as through Cari, its online virtual assistant.
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South West Wales payroll jobs dip as median monthly pay rises to £2,375
EMPLOYMENT across South West Wales fell slightly over the
past year, while workers’ median monthly pay rose by more than four
per cent, new analysis suggests. There were 147,632 people in payrolled employment in the region in July 2026 — 408 fewer than a year earlier, a fall of 0.3%. The monthly change was largely flat, with 68 fewer workers than in June. Despite the small fall in employment, median monthly pay reached £2,375, up £98 — or 4.3% — on the same month last year. That was ahead of the reported 2.82% inflation rate. The total payroll bill for South West Wales increased by 4.5% over the year, outpacing the change in the number of people employed. The figures suggest that earnings among those remaining in work have continued to improve. WageSight said workers in the region are now around £97 a month better off in real terms than they were in February 2022, after a period in which high inflation reduced the spending power of wages. South West Wales ranked third out of ten Welsh sub-regions for annual employment performance in the analysis, behind Monmouthshire and Newport, where employment rose by
0.1%, and Anglesey, where it fell by 0.2%. Across Wales, payrolled employment fell by 0.5% over the year to July. Nationally, UK payrolled employment was down 0.3% year-onyear. Paul Hebden, of Campaign Salience, said: “The latest figures show that employers in South West Wales have seen a dip in payroll compared with the same month last year. “It is difficult to say whether this reflects businesses bracing for continued economic uncertainty and inflationary pressures. On the other hand, wages for those in work continue to rise. “The positive story is that workers in South West Wales are seeing their pay packets grow. That is money in people’s pockets, and it matters for local businesses and public services. But there will be understandable concern about the employment picture.” The figures are based on HMRC Real Time Information data and ONS consumer price statistics, analysed by WageSight.
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Cardigan to become open-air gallery for month-long craft trail Seven award-winning Welsh makers have created new works inspired by ideas of home, memory and belonging Cardigan-based ceramicist Ella Bua-In will exhibit at Stiwdio 3, responding to Hiraeth, or longing. Her tactile stoneware vessels feature hand-painted narrative illustrations applied using oxides, creating expressive surfaces intended to be held, used and treasured. Contemporary quilt maker Sophie Snow will take over a space at Crwst with a work inspired by Croeso, or welcome. Based in St Dogmaels, she combines linen, cotton, block-printed fabrics and intricate hand stitching to create bold textile pieces influenced by the landscapes and coastlines of West Wales. Furniture maker John Pearce, known as The Teifi Woodworker, will exhibit at Jake’s under the theme of Aelwyd, or hearth. From his workshop in Henllan, he makes contemporary furniture using sustainably sourced British timber, traditional joinery techniques and hand tools. The final stop will be at Cardigan
CARDIGAN will be transformed into an open-air gallery this autumn as the Craft Festival Wales Town Trail returns for its third year. Running from Friday, September 11, until Sunday, October 11, the trail will place specially commissioned works by seven Welsh makers inside independent businesses across the town. The project has been created and curated by ceramic artist and Eisteddfod Yr Garreg Las gold medallist Justine Allison to accompany Craft Festival Wales, which takes place at Cardigan Castle from September 11 to 13. Each participating artist was invited to respond to a Welsh word connected with the experience of home: Aelwyd, meaning hearth; Maeth, nourishment; Atgof, memory; Croeso, welcome; Cysur, comfort; Hiraeth, longing; and Tirwedd, landscape. Organisers say the trail explores how the idea of home can be found not only in places, but also in treasured objects, shared stories, familiar landscapes and the memories people carry with them. Visitors will be able to discover work
Bay Brownies, where printmaker and wallpaper conservator Justyna Medon, founder of Addicted to Patterns, will respond to Atgof, or memory. Based in the Garw Valley near Bridgend, Justyna combines traditional techniques with experimental printmaking to explore the way patterns and materials preserve traces of the past while creating new stories. Visitors can collect a free Town Trail map from participating venues, Oriel Canfas, Oriel Cardi-Bach or Cardigan Castle. A stamp can then be collected at each of the seven locations. Completed maps returned to Cardigan Castle by October 31 will be entered into a prize draw for a bundle of gifts donated by the participating venues. The Craft Festival Wales Town Trail runs throughout Cardigan from September 11 until October 11, while the main Craft Festival Wales event will be held at Cardigan Castle from September 11 to 13.
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ranging from textiles and ceramics to furniture, illustration and printmaking while exploring Cardigan’s shops, cafés and cultural venues. Textile artist Llio James will exhibit at Mwldan with a work inspired by Cysur, or comfort. Originally from Talybont, Ceredigion, she has created a reversible double-cloth blanket using 100% British wool and offering a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Aberteifi pattern. At The Albion, ceramicist Tim Lake will explore the theme of Maeth, or nourishment. Working from a studio near Llangadog, he produces highfired stoneware on a traditional kick wheel, using slips and glazes he makes himself and often incorporating locally collected natural materials. Printmaker and illustrator Tom Frost will display his Tirwedd, or landscape, commission at Awen Teifi. Working from Llanboidy, his distinctive graphic style draws on sources including vintage matchboxes, folk art, old toys, St Dogmaels quilt maker Sophie Snow at work on a textile piece. Her Town Trail stamps and the natural world. commission, inspired by Croeso or welcome, will be displayed at Crwst.
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Welsh vodka sensation Au agrees reported £500m sale to BuzzBallz owner Tom Sinclair
editor@herald.email
A WELSH vodka business started by two school friends with an initial run of just a few thousand bottles is set to be sold to an American drinks giant in a deal reportedly worth as much as £500 million. Swansea-based Au Vodka is being acquired by Sazerac Company, the privately owned US spirits group behind brands including Southern Comfort, Fireball, Buffalo Trace and the hugely successful ready-to-drink cocktail brand BuzzBallz. The deal is expected to deliver extraordinary windfalls for Au’s cofounders Charlie Morgan and Jackson Quinn, with both men reportedly in line to receive more than £100m each. The precise financial terms have not been disclosed, and reports suggest the headline £500m value includes future payments linked to the transaction. Sazerac has now been reported as confirming that an agreement has been reached to buy the business, saying the acquisition would allow the company to deepen its presence in the UK. Morgan and Quinn have so far declined to discuss the terms publicly. It represents a remarkable conclusion to the first chapter of a company founded in Swansea only 11 years ago. Morgan and Quinn, who were school friends, established Au Vodka in 2015, spotting what they believed was a gap in the premium vodka market for a brand that would stand out visually from established competitors.
The name came from Au, the chemical symbol for gold, while the company’s distinctive metallic gold bottle became central to everything that followed. Au says its founders deliberately wanted packaging that would be immediately recognisable rather than another conventional clear or frosted spirits bottle. The pair began with an initial production run of around 2,000 bottles, selling locally and gradually getting the drink into Swansea bars before expanding its retail footprint. What followed was explosive growth. Social media transformed Swansea start-up Au’s expansion was driven as much by marketing as by the drink itself. DJ and broadcaster Charlie Sloth joined the business as an investor and director after Morgan and Quinn approached him through social media. His involvement helped put the distinctive gold bottles in front of musicians, sports stars and influencers, creating an image very different from that of traditional vodka manufacturers. The company went on to work with high-profile names including boxer Floyd Mayweather, former footballer Ronaldinho and YouTube star-turnedboxer Jake Paul, who took part in a publicity stunt involving an Au Vodka bottle tattoo. Au’s own account of its growth shows just how quickly the numbers changed. The company says turnover was around £700,000 in 2020, before jumping to approximately £38m the following year as flavoured products, particularly Black Grape, helped propel the brand into the mainstream. By the year ending April 2025, filed accounts showed turnover of almost £83m, up from around £65m the previous year, while pre-tax profit rose to approximately £6.7m. The company has also increasingly moved beyond bottles into the rapidly expanding ready-to-drink market. Sales volumes from Au’s canned range rose sharply, with the business becoming a significant UK player in pre-mixed vodka drinks. Earlier this year it also teamed up with Tango for limited-edition vodka-based Orange and Apple cans. Ironically, one of Au’s biggest competitors in that market is BuzzBallz — the American spherical cocktail brand which is already owned by its prospective new parent company,
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completes one of the more unusual routes into British business success. Long before Au Vodka existed, he became internationally famous at the age of 17 while working as a ball boy during Swansea City’s League Cup semi-final against Chelsea in January 2013. Chelsea star Eden Hazard was sent off following an extraordinary touchline incident after attempting to retrieve the ball from Morgan, who had fallen on top of it. Hazard appeared to kick beneath the teenager while trying to free the ball, leading to his dismissal and a storm of worldwide media coverage. The pair later put the controversy behind them and reunited publicly more than a decade afterwards. Two years after the original incident, Morgan and Quinn launched the company that would eventually make them multimillionaires. American expansion For Sazerac, Au offers something particularly valuable: a youthful British brand with enormous social-media recognition and an existing foothold in the US. Au launched in America in August 2022, establishing an office in Atlanta. The company says 50,000 bottles were sold during its first week in the US,
Sazerac. Sazerac acquired BuzzBallz in 2024 and has since pushed the brand aggressively into international markets. The US company now controls a vast portfolio of drinks brands including Buffalo Trace, Southern Comfort, Fireball, Eagle Rare and several vodka labels. £5m ‘Gold Mega HQ’ in Swansea Despite its international ambitions, Au has remained firmly rooted in Swansea. In January 2025, the company moved into a new headquarters at Swansea Vale after outgrowing its previous base at Cwmdu Industrial Estate. Companies House records confirm the change of registered office to Central Business Park during that month. The 30,000 sq ft headquarters reportedly cost around £5m and reflects the company’s deliberately extravagant image.
Dubbed the “Gold Mega HQ”, the building includes content and podcast studios, flavour-themed rooms, a tasting facility and even a nine-hole indoor mini-golf course, while the company has become well known locally for its fleet of gold-wrapped vehicles. The takeover therefore represents not only a major payday for its shareholders, but one of the most significant exits involving a Welshfounded consumer brand for years. A minority stake in Au was previously sold to private equity investor Metric Capital in 2023, meaning Morgan and Quinn are not the only shareholders expected to benefit from the transaction. Whether the two founders will remain involved with Au after completion of the sale has not yet been confirmed. Morgan’s extraordinary journey For Morgan in particular, the deal
although its founders have repeatedly acknowledged that awareness there remains far below the level achieved in Britain. That gives Sazerac’s huge distribution network considerable room to expand the brand. The Kentucky-based group has become increasingly acquisitive in recent years, buying BuzzBallz and adding other major spirits labels to an already extensive international portfolio. Au therefore gives it both another premium vodka operation and a rapidly growing ready-to-drink business at a time when canned cocktails have become an increasingly important part of the global drinks market. What began with two Swansea friends, a few thousand bottles and an idea to make vodka packaging look different is now poised to become part of one of America’s largest privately owned spirits businesses. And if the reported numbers prove accurate, Morgan and Quinn’s decision to turn the periodic-table symbol for gold into a drinks brand will have produced an exceptionally appropriate ending: a business worth around half a billion pounds, and personal payouts reported to exceed £100m each.
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Pembrokeshire brothers go viral with six million football views in a month TWO football-mad brothers from Pembrokeshire have become an unlikely social media hit, with videos charting their love of the game attracting more than six million views in the space of a month. Hunter, seven, and his tenyear-old brother Braxton, from Monkton, are the young stars of @ TheFootballerDad, a TikTok account run by their parents Abi Roberts and Jamie Hunt. Under the name Braxton and Hunter’s Journey, the page follows the brothers through training sessions, matches, football challenges and visits to some of the biggest stadiums in the country. What began as a family record of two youngsters doing what they love has developed into an online following reaching millions of people. And football is very much a full-time obsession in the Hunt household. Dad Jamie has transformed the family garden into a miniature training ground, complete with artificial turf, goal, protective netting and an array of training equipment. It is a facility which rarely gets a night off. Hunter currently plays for Monkton Swifts and SSA Pembrokeshire, while Braxton plays for Haverfordwest, with both boys also spending hours practising together at home. When they are not playing, training or watching football, they can often be found reading football autobiographies, trivia books and stories about the stars of the game. From family videos to millions of views Jamie initially began filming his sons simply to preserve memories of their footballing childhood.
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But the clips began attracting an increasingly large audience, with the family saying content featuring the boys has now generated more than six million views across social media in a single month. Jamie said: “I originally started filming the boys because football is such a massive part of their lives and I wanted to be able to look back and see how far they had come. “We never expected the videos to reach the sort of audience they have. “For us, it is still about documenting their journey and letting them enjoy their football. They absolutely live and breathe it. “If they are not training or playing a match, they are normally in the garden
with a ball, watching football or reading about it before bed. “To see millions of people now watching and supporting them is incredible. “They are only seven and ten, so there is a very long way to go, but they both have that dream of becoming professional footballers. “As parents, we just want to give them as many opportunities and experiences as we can while making sure they enjoy every minute of it.” The rapid growth of the account has also seen Pembrokeshire-based Whitestone Media Group begin working alongside the family to help produce and develop content. The company has been filming some of the brothers’ football trips and stadium experiences, giving their growing audience a behind-the-scenes look at the adventures.
life
Anfield trip brings football dream to
Among their recent highlights was a trip to Liverpool to tour Anfield, giving Hunter and Braxton the chance to walk around one of English football’s most famous grounds. The visit was filmed as part of their online series, with another major football trip already planned. The family is preparing to travel to London for a tour of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, which will also be documented for the page. For two youngsters who dream of one day playing the game professionally, the visits offer a glimpse of the level they hope to reach. But their parents say the priority remains enjoyment rather than pressure. Both boys continue to play grassroots football locally while spending much of their spare time developing their skills together at home. Local sponsors sought as page grows With the account’s audience expanding rapidly, Abi and Jamie are now inviting Pembrokeshire businesses interested in supporting the boys’ football journey to get involved. The family says sponsorship could help towards the cost of future football trips, stadium tours and other experiences, with participating businesses able to feature in content produced around the boys’ adventures. Jamie added: “If there are local businesses that would like to come along on the journey with us, we’d love to hear from them.” Businesses interested in supporting Braxton and Hunter’s Journey can contact the family through @ TheFootballerDad on social media or email thefootballerdad@gmail.com. For now, Hunter and Braxton remain two football-obsessed Pembrokeshire youngsters kicking a ball around whenever they get the chance. The difference is that millions of people are now watching them do it.
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NoFit State Circus wows Carmarthen audiences as final weekend approaches A SPECTACULAR contemporary circus production is winning rave reviews from visitors in Carmarthen, with just days remaining to catch the show before its run comes to an end. NoFit State Circus has brought its latest large-scale production, CARNATION, to Carmarthen Showground as part of the Welsh company’s 40th anniversary celebrations. The show, which opened on August 8 and continues until Sunday, August 23, combines world-class circus performances with live music, dramatic staging and cinematic imagery inside NoFit State’s Big Top. Among those impressed by the production this week was visitor DeeBee Jay, who described having a “fantastic afternoon” at the circus. Posting after Wednesday’s performance, she said: “Such an amazing show and incredibly talented performers, they are there until Sunday, comes highly recommended!” CARNATION is directed by award-winning director Firenza Guidi and features aerial performances, acrobatics and large-scale circus skills, with performers making use of the full
height and space of the Big Top. The production forms part of NoFit State’s anniversary tour, which has already visited Porthcawl, Brighton, Bristol and Galway before arriving in Carmarthen. Organisers describe the production as a contemporary circus experience centred on hope and rebellion, blending extraordinary physical performances with live music and striking visual effects. The approximately two-hour show includes a 20-minute interval and is suitable for audiences of all ages, although organisers stress it was not created specifically as a children’s show. The remaining performances take place at The Showground, Nantyci, Carmarthen, with the Carmarthen run ending on Sunday. Tickets are currently advertised from £14, with family ticket options also available. For anyone yet to venture beneath the Big Top, the enthusiastic reaction from this week’s audiences suggests the final few performances could be well worth catching.
Inside the NoFit State Circus Big Top at Carmarthen Showground during the company’s CARNATION production. (Pic: DeeBee Jay)
Movement to Work scheme helps young people into jobs across South West Wales MORE than 100 young people across South West Wales have taken part in a Department for Work and Pensions programme designed to help break the “no experience, no job” cycle. The Movement to Work scheme offers unemployed people aged 18 to 24 a four-tosix-week work placement, giving them workplace experience, skills and confidence while supporting employers with recruitment. Since the start of 2026, 113 young people in South West Wales have taken part, with many moving directly into employment after completing their placements. Recent figures also show 1.512 million people in Wales are in employment, according to the latest labour market statistics. That is an increase of 26,000 over the quarter and 43,000 over the year, with the employment rate standing at 72.5%. A recent placement with the DWP’s Counter Fraud and Compliance Directorate in Morriston saw 12 young people undertake work experience. Nine were subsequently offered permanent jobs as Compliance Officers. Matthew, who secured a role through the programme, said: “Movement to Work provided me with a pathway into a career within the Civil Service. It has given me the financial security to move out, become independent, and begin building my future.” Cameron, another successful participant, said the scheme had brought an end to a two-year search for work. He said: “The staff and Employer Partnership Team invested a huge amount of time
and effort into my development, and it really paid off.” In Rhondda Cynon Taf, 27 participants completed a work experience programme through the DWP Multi-Department Residency at Ty Taf, near Pontypridd. Of those, 24 went on to secure full-time employment after progressing through the recruitment process. The programme has also helped young people into private-sector roles. Sianna, 18, joined through Neath Jobcentre after a year out of work and with no previous employment experience. With support from the Jobcentre and recruitment consultant Claire Williams, she secured an interview and placement with Specsavers. Her performance reportedly impressed the employer sufficiently that she was offered a permanent job after her first day. Sianna said: “Through the support I received from the Jobcentre, I was able to improve my skills, build my confidence, and prepare for employment. “This support helped me secure a role with Specsavers, which is a milestone I am incredibly proud of.” Richard Morgan, DWP Movement to Work Coordinator for South West Wales, said: “I would encourage any young person with little or no work experience to speak with their Work Coach and ask about the opportunities available in their area. “Movement to Work could be the first step on their journey into sustainable employment.” Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the latest figures showed “signs of progress”, adding that the Government would continue investing in employment support and measures aimed at helping young people, disabled people and those with health conditions into work.
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From drought to deluge: Wales must prepare for climate whiplash This summer’s drought and wildfires are one side of our changing climate. The other may be winters of heavier rain, flooded roads and overwhelmed drainage. Pembrokeshire needs to prepare for both. THIS week, firefighters from across West Wales have once again been battling flames across tinder-dry countryside. At Morfa Bychan, near Pendine, crews spent days tackling a wildfire which burned through around ten hectares of gorse and scrub. Farmers arrived with water tankers. Firefighters from stations across Pembrokeshire and neighbouring counties were called in. Scenes like these no longer feel particularly extraordinary. That should concern us. Wales remains officially in drought. Rivers including the Cleddau are exceptionally low, while groundwater monitoring sites at Brynberian and Hasguard Cross in Pembrokeshire have recently been close to historic August minimums. July was the driest in Wales since records began around 190 years ago. It was also the joint warmest. But here is the strange thing about the climate we are moving towards: our problem will not simply be that Wales becomes hotter and drier. At other times, we may have far too much water. Scientists increasingly use the phrase “climate whiplash” to describe rapid swings between extremes – drought followed by intense rainfall, dry soils followed by flooding, water shortages followed by overwhelmed drains and rivers. For somewhere like Pembrokeshire, that matters enormously. We are surrounded by water, crossed by rivers and streams, dependent on agriculture and tourism, and dotted with coastal communities where flooding and erosion are already familiar concerns. It can seem absurd to talk about water shortages in a county where winter rain can fall horizontally for days. But that apparent contradiction is precisely the problem. The Met Office’s long-term
projections point towards hotter, generally drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. Under a high-emissions scenario, average summer rainfall across Wales by the 2070s could fall dramatically, while winter rainfall could increase substantially. And when summer rain does arrive, it may increasingly come not as the gentle soaking rain farmers and reservoirs need, but as short, violent downpours. Dry ground does not necessarily absorb sudden heavy rainfall efficiently. Water can instead rush across hardened fields, roads and concrete, overwhelming drainage
systems and carrying soil into rivers. So we could find ourselves desperately wanting rain in July, only to receive too much of it in an hour. That is climate whiplash. It means the debate about climate change now has to move beyond arguments about distant temperature targets. We need to talk seriously about adaptation. Do our towns have drainage systems capable of handling heavier downpours? Are new homes being built in places that will remain safe in 30 or 50 years? Are farmers being supported to
store water during wetter months so it is available during prolonged dry periods? Can wetlands and peatlands be restored so they hold more water rather than allowing it to race downstream? Are our reservoirs, pipes and water infrastructure sufficient for the climate that is coming rather than the climate we grew up with? And in rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, do our fire and rescue services have the equipment, staffing and resources they will need if significant wildfires become more frequent? These questions may lack the drama of international climate summits, but they are the questions that will determine how successfully communities cope. There is another important point. No individual heatwave, flood or wildfire should automatically be blamed entirely on climate change. Weather has always varied, sometimes dramatically. What climate change does is alter the odds. Hot extremes become more likely. Some dry periods become more severe. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, increasing the potential for intense rainfall. The dice are becoming loaded. Pembrokeshire has had an extraordinary summer. Fields have turned brown. Rivers have fallen. Farmers have worried about grass and water. Firefighters have faced difficult wildfires across West Wales. Eventually the rain will return. When it does, there will inevitably be jokes that the drought is over and Welsh weather is back to normal. But that misses the point. The future may not be permanently dry or permanently wet. It may be both. Long dry spells followed by torrential rain. Wildfire warnings followed months later by flood warnings. Reservoir concerns in summer and swollen rivers in winter. From drought to deluge and back again. Preparing Pembrokeshire for that increasingly unpredictable cycle could become one of the defining challenges of the next generation.
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O R E H G IN T R O P S E H T D BADGER AN
BADGER likes cricket. A vast open field surrounded by hedges and watched and played by those who are careless with their halfeaten sarnies and crisps is the very definition of badgery heaven. One of Badger’s older chums among the forest-folk told Badger this week that the media’s coverage of cricket in Pembrokeshire was the envy of other counties in Wales. Badger can see his point. Many clubs have a strong social media presence and have taken advantage of how easily scores can be kept up to date live, so that even those with something better to do than watch a game can follow their favourite teams. If Badger has one minor criticism of reporting on local cricket (and much the same observation applies to other sports, like rugby and the other “popular” ball game which is not rugby), it’s that it appears to him that coverage in Pembrokeshire depends too much on who scored how many runs and who takes so many wickets. In the context of rugby, it’s tries, kicks, tackles, and the immaculate hairdos of flyhalves. In football, it’s the passes, goals, and incessant petty niggling that carries on after the final whistle. And the adjectives: “veteran”, “youngster”, “promising”, and “unlucky” are somewhat overused. When you read a local sports report, those adjectives and the judicious use of the word “adjudged” are sure indicators that you’re in for a rare treat. That is sad. It misses a trick. Equally as important as the games played on the field are the characters who’ve made Pembrokeshire sport what it is today. Thankfully, a couple of writers are prepared to go beyond the base cliches of sports coverage and have perfected a style of writing that reminds us what’s important about sport: the nature of those taking part and the credit they bring to their clubs, sports, and Pembrokeshire itself. However, Badger knows of one tragic omission from the pantheon of our county’s sporting heroes. Melvin Helmet.
Melvin has been a mainstay of FC Martletwy and Coedcanlas Cricket Club for over sixty years. His exploits on the field have become the stuff of legend. In his youth, Mel was an exciting forward who once scored seven goals against Bayern Landshipping in the Minwear District Cup. As time passed, Melvin became a canny midfielder whose ability to pick out opponents’ ankles and genitals with his studs made him respected and feared from Cresswell Quay to Reynalton. He became synonymous with Coedcanlas Cricket Club, where he started playing his junior cricket under the watchful eye of such characters as Billy Shin and the much-missed Larry Anthrax. Melvin, a bowler of skilful medium pace and a hard-hitting opening batsman, helped Coedcanlas CC become one of the most feared sides in local cricket, mostly because the Coedcanlas committee, headed by
Mugger Lewis, always kept their shotguns handy to ensure fair play. And who’s to say the game wasn’t the better for the threat of imminent, violent and bloody death if a Coedcanlas batsman was the victim of a debatable bowled-out decision? Badger met with Melvin Helmet at Coedcanlas’s penultimate game of the cricket season against fierce local rivals Pisgah Academicals. Batting down the order these days, Melvin still takes a keen interest in the Coedcanlas side. While Davie Helmet and Hughie Helmet opened the batting, Melvin told us he saw a big future for the club. As we dived into Coedcanlas’s traditional tea of Spam and banana sandwiches, accompanied by fresh cream scones and delicious cakes prepared by the Coedcanlas ladies and young Albie, we shared many a yarn about times gone by and his memories of some of the real
characters he’s known. “Back when I started playing, times were really tough. Young lads were leaving the village to work in the refineries and whatnot. They’d get their heads turned by the bright lights of Hundleton and Maidenwells, and that’d be it. They’d never be seen again. “It meant those left behind had to work twice as hard to make up. It wasn’t easy laying all those mantraps and luring travellers to a hideous fate, but we managed. “It used to be said that Coedcanlas took no prisoners, but when Barry Shin introduced tinned pork luncheon meat to the village, it improved our diet no end and led to a tourism boom. “Recreational cannibalism is long gone. I can’t help feeling the kids miss out on the smell of roasting “long pig”.” And who is Badger to argue? “As for Larry Anthrax, he shared his knowledge with us young uns. We used to have so many laughs when he told us how he used to put razor blades on the edges of his bat to ensure wicketkeepers stood back. I remember Larry telling us about the time he accidentally severed Edgar Snott’s jugular vein playing a late cut. Oh, how all us youngsters laughed! “It’s not like that now, of course. It’s all about “talent”, “technique” and “skill”. It was so much more fun when you didn’t know if a ball would break your ankle or fracture your jaw. It made for a better game.” He took special pride in the club’s youth policy, which saw six of his sons and four grandsons in the team. “In a way,” Melvin said, “the club makes up for the family I never had.” As we ate another cream scone, Badger couldn’t help thinking about how much today’s youngsters have missed out on and how much they could learn from real Pembrokeshire gentlemen like Melvin Helmet. He’s a great bloke and an example to all sportsmen living in Pembrokeshire today. As a great man has often suggested, long may he continue to be so.
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Free woodland retreat offers menopause support in Pembrokeshire A FREE woodland retreat for people experiencing perimenopause and menopause is being held in North Pembrokeshire next month. Cwm Arian’s Among the Trees event will take place at Pengelli Forest, near Eglwyswrw, on Friday, September 4, from 10am until 2.30pm. Delivered through the Preseli Woodlands Project, the session is intended to offer time away from everyday pressures, with quiet reflection, a woodland walk and an optional facilitated sharing circle. It will be led by psychotherapist Heather Sanderson and is open to people navigating perimenopause or menopause. Organisers say the event will provide a relaxed space for participants to connect with nature and others with similar experiences, without any pressure to speak or share personal experiences. Perimenopause and menopause can bring symptoms including tiredness, sleep disruption, anxiety and difficulty concentrating, which may affect confidence, relationships, work and family life. The retreat will also give those attending the chance to discuss what
further local support could look like in Pembrokeshire. Cwm Arian said spending time outdoors can help people step back from daily demands and restore a sense of calm, while the group setting may help reduce the isolation some
people experience during menopause. The event is free, but advance booking is essential. To reserve a place, email sophie@cwmarian.org. uk. Among the Trees is being delivered by Cwm Arian in partnership with the
Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. It is funded through the Welsh Government’s National Forest for Wales Landscape Scheme 2025– 2027, administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026 A COMPLETE PREVIEW
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026 Pictures provided by the PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
Thousands flock to Withybush THOUSANDS of visitors descended on Withybush this week as the Pembrokeshire County Show returned for two packed days celebrating the very best of farming, rural life and the county’s community. The County Showground was bustling from early on Wednesday (Aug 19), with livestock exhibitors, traders, families and visitors arriving for one of the biggest dates in Pembrokeshire’s summer calendar. Months of preparation came together as judging began at 8am with the horse classes, followed by cattle judging from 9.30am. The Show was officially opened at 10.30am, marking the start of two days of competitions, demonstrations, displays and entertainment. Agriculture remained firmly at the heart of the event, with some of Pembrokeshire’s finest livestock taking centre stage and exhibitors competing for honours across a wide range of classes. But there was plenty happening beyond the judging rings, with attractions spread across the extensive Withybush showground. One of the headline arena acts was The Kangaroo Kid, who entertained the crowds with his high-energy quad bike stunt display on both days. The ever-popular Vintage Tractor Parade also made its way around the arena, while the Gentle Giants provided another crowdpleasing spectacle. Throughout the Show, visitors were also able to enjoy cooking demonstrations,
sheep shearing, Food Story activities, Dinosaur Friends and Panic Circus, while a land train helped families travel around the busy showground. Wednesday’s livestock programme included the Cattle Interbreed Championships, calf classes and Young Handlers, before the first day drew to a close with the Society Awards. The action resumed early on Thursday (Aug 20), with further horse judging alongside sheep and pig classes and more opportunities for young handlers to demonstrate their skills. The Ladies Day Reception was another feature of Thursday morning, while The Kangaroo Kid, Vintage Tractor Parade and Gentle Giants returned to entertain the
crowds. Among the highlights of the second afternoon was Pembrokeshire’s Fittest Young Farmer competition, followed by the Sheep Interbreed Championships. After two days of competition and entertainment, the Show moved into its final celebrations with an After Show Party on Thursday evening. For generations, the Pembrokeshire County Show has been one of the most important dates in the local agricultural calendar, bringing together farmers, livestock breeders, rural organisations, businesses and families from across the county and beyond. The competition rings remained at its heart,
representing the culmination of months of work for exhibitors preparing animals for some of Pembrokeshire’s most prestigious agricultural honours. Elsewhere, agricultural machinery, trade stands, local food producers, crafts and community organisations transformed the showground into a showcase of rural Pembrokeshire. For many, however, the County Show was about more than competitions and prizes. It was an opportunity to catch up with old friends, support local businesses and celebrate the people, traditions and industries which continue to shape rural life in Pembrokeshire.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026
Farmers launch new bovine TB battle plan at County Show FUW calls for science-led wildlife action, dedicated case vets and fairer treatment for farms caught in long-running disease breakdowns
FARMERS have launched a new plan demanding a fresh approach to the eradication of bovine TB in Wales, with the campaign unveiled to coincide with this year’s Pembrokeshire County Show. The Farmers’ Union of Wales says its new document, A Mandate for Bovine TB Eradication in Wales: A Farmer’s Point of View, sets out practical changes which farmers believe are needed if Wales is to make greater progress in tackling one of the most damaging diseases affecting the cattle industry. The launch is particularly significant in Pembrokeshire, where bovine TB has for years been one of the most serious challenges facing livestock farmers. The FUW says the disease affects different areas of Wales in different ways and argues that future policy needs to reflect local circumstances rather than relying on a onesize-fits-all approach. Its new mandate was drawn up following consultation with union members and focuses on three main areas: communication and support for farmers experiencing a TB breakdown, the role of wildlife in transmission, and the ability of affected farms to continue trading livestock. At the heart of the proposals is a call for a fundamental examination of the existing eradication programme to establish why progress has not been faster. The union wants the Welsh Government to
develop what it describes as a scientifically supported, sustainable and holistic approach which considers infection in both cattle and wildlife. It also wants greater use of genomic sequencing – technology which can help scientists understand links between individual strains of Mycobacterium bovis, the bacterium which causes bovine TB. The FUW argues that where genomic evidence identifies disease circulating within wildlife populations, there should be policies allowing appropriate interventions to take place. The union stops short in its new mandate of
prescribing a single form of wildlife control. Instead, it says any intervention should be backed by evidence, financially achievable, used to improve scientific understanding and accompanied by a predetermined exit strategy. The FUW also wants the existing Badger Found Dead Scheme to continue, with greater use made of the information it produces, and is calling for monitoring of TB in other wildlife species including deer. Support for individual farmers experiencing a breakdown forms another major part of the proposals. The union says every farmer dealing with
bovine TB in their herd should have access to a dedicated case vet. It also wants farmers’ own private veterinary surgeons to be more closely involved in communication and decision-making during breakdowns, working alongside official case vets. The FUW says the present system can sometimes result in farmers receiving automated correspondence which conflicts with discussions taking place over particularly complex cases. It wants officials to be able to halt automatic letters where necessary and is calling for consideration of a digital communications
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026 Pictures provided by the PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
platform which could also give access to farmers’ agents. A review of the CymorthTB support service is also being sought. Another major concern is what happens to cattle which remain on farms placed under TB restrictions. The FUW says animals from breakdown herds can suffer a substantial reduction in value because of restrictions on where and how they can be sold, with serious consequences for family farm businesses. Keeping animals which would ordinarily have been sold can also lead to overcrowding and additional feed and housing costs. The union is therefore proposing wider access to specialist routes through which cattle from restricted farms can be sold or finished under controlled biosecurity conditions. Its proposals include exploring the introduction of Orange Markets in the Intermediate TB Area North, allowing TB Isolation Units there, and permitting Approved Finishing Units in both of Wales’ Intermediate TB Areas. It also wants the application process for specialist bovine TB units to be simplified. The mandate additionally raises concerns about differences between England and Wales in the interpretation of inconclusive reactor results from skin tests. The FUW says Wales uses a wider measurement when identifying some inconclusive reactors than England, meaning an animal which receives an inconclusive result on one side of the border could potentially be considered clear on the other. The union argues that the difference creates resentment among farmers, particularly within communities close to the
border, and wants test interpretation brought into alignment. Bovine TB remains one of the most emotive issues in Welsh agriculture, bringing not only financial losses but considerable uncertainty to farming families as herds can remain under movement restrictions for long
periods. The latest official Welsh Government figures nevertheless show that some national indicators have been moving in the right direction. In the 12 months to March 2026 there were 479 new TB herd incidents in Wales, down
23.1 per cent from 623 during the previous 12-month period. A total of 10,395 cattle were slaughtered for TB control purposes during the same period, a fall of 21.1 per cent from 13,171 a year earlier. The Welsh Government has said the longer-term number of new herd incidents has been falling and maintains that more sensitive testing, movement controls, biosecurity and collaboration between farmers, vets and government are central to eliminating the disease. In a statement earlier this year, ministers said there had been “substantial progress” under the current eradication programme while acknowledging that the number of animals slaughtered remained high and that there was still a long way to go. The Government has also highlighted an industry-led TB project in Pembrokeshire, saying work in the county has helped farmers and vets make informed decisions aimed at eradicating disease and preventing new infection. However, the FUW’s new mandate makes clear that many farmers believe further changes are required. Launching its proposals during one of the most important weeks in the Pembrokeshire agricultural calendar ensures bovine TB is once again firmly on the agenda as farmers, politicians and rural organisations gather at Withybush. For cattle farmers who have experienced repeated testing, movement restrictions and the loss of animals from their herds, the union says the ultimate objective must be a system which tackles every source of infection while giving affected farming families the practical and financial support they need.
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THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026
Taf Valley Coaches wins top stand award
Team celebrates Best Small Non-Agricultural Trade Stand prize TAF VALLEY COACHES is celebrating after receiving a top award on the opening day of the Pembrokeshire County Show. The company was named winner of the Best Non-Agricultural Trade Stand category at the showground in Haverfordwest on Wednesday (Aug 19). The award came as a welcome surprise for the team, who had put considerable effort into preparing the display.
A Taf Valley Coaches spokesperson said: “A lot of work went into getting everything ready, so this was a lovely surprise for the whole team. “A huge thank you to everyone who has stopped by to see us so far. It has been brilliant chatting with familiar faces, meeting new customers and showing visitors our exciting 2027 holiday collection.” The company’s stand, located near the Food Hall, features details of its 2027 holidays as well as remaining availability for trips during 2026. Visitors will still be able to meet the team during the second day of the Pembrokeshire County Show on Thursday (Aug 20).
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026 Pictures provided by the PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
County Show trade stand winners announced Coedcanlas, Pembrokeshire FRAME and Ladds also take honours among more than 330 exhibitors at Withybush FOUR businesses have been recognised for the quality of their displays at Pembrokeshire County Show after judges selected some of the best trade stands from more than 330 exhibitors. The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society announced the winners following the opening day of the Show at Withybush on Wednesday (Aug 19), with awards covering food, agriculture, the farmers’ market and nonagricultural exhibitors. Coedcanlas took the award for Best Pembrokeshire Produce in the Food Hall. The artisan producer’s stand features its range of marmalades, preserves and maple syrup, with the company displaying its products alongside its distinctive Coedcanlas branding. The business produces a range of preserves as well as authentic maple syrup and was pictured proudly displaying its County Show winner’s rosette following the judging. Taf Valley Coaches was named Best NonAgricultural Trade Stand. The Whitland-based coach company, which operates holidays and excursions across the UK and further afield, received its award in front of its large show display. The company’s representatives were presented with the winner’s rosette by Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society officials during Wednesday’s judging. Its colourful display showcased the organisation’s distinctive range of furniture, homewares and upcycled goods. FRAME is a Pembrokeshire social enterprise
which works to provide opportunities and support while reducing waste through the reuse and recycling of household items. The fourth winner announced by the Society was agricultural supplier Ladds, which received the award for Best Agricultural Trade Stand. Its display incorporated agricultural equipment alongside a vintage tractor and floral displays, creating one of the most eyecatching agricultural stands at the Show. The winning businesses are among more than 330 trade stands taking part in this year’s event, ranging from major agricultural firms and machinery dealers to independent food producers, craftspeople, charities and local organisations. Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society congratulated all four winners and encouraged visitors to explore the wide range of exhibitors across the showground. The Society said: “A huge congratulations to our fantastic trade stand winners. “And that’s just a few of the brilliant businesses here. We’ve got over 330 fantastic trade stands to explore, with something for everyone.” All of the stands will return for the second and final day of Pembrokeshire County Show on Thursday (Aug 20). The trade stands have traditionally formed a major part of Pembrokeshire County Show, providing everything from agricultural machinery and rural services to locally produced food, tourism, crafts and community organisations. Judging takes place across a number of categories, recognising exhibitors which have made a particular effort with the presentation, originality and overall quality of their displays.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026
Show warning as drought slashes Pembrokeshire potato yields
Growers say dry summer has cut harvests, shrunk saleable crops and left the sector facing a crisis of confidence
PEMBROKESHIRE’S potato growers have warned that this summer’s drought has slashed yields, reduced the number of saleable crops and left the sector facing what one farmer described as a “crisis of confidence”. The issue was raised at Pembrokeshire
County Show on Wednesday (Aug 19), where NFU Cymru representatives met Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd MS, to press the case for greater support for the county’s farming sector. Among those leading the call was Pembrokeshire grower Tom Rees, Chair of the NFU Cymru Combinable Crops and Horticulture Board, who said the prolonged lack of rain and intense heat had taken a heavy toll on one of the county’s best-known products. Mr Rees said his own farm was facing an
estimated 25 to 30 per cent drop in potato yields compared with a normal year. He added that the problem was not only the overall fall in production, but the effect the dry weather had had on the size of the crop. With many potatoes failing to reach the size needed for sale, growers are being left with a far higher proportion of stock that cannot command the returns needed to cover rising production costs. Mr Rees said other potato growers across Pembrokeshire were reporting similar experiences, warning that the financial consequences would be felt long after this year’s harvest. He said that for a high-cost crop such as potatoes, a reduction of that scale would have a major impact on farm cashflow over the coming year and had created a serious loss of confidence within the sector. The concerns were echoed by Puffin Produce, one of the county’s biggest potato businesses and the home of the Blas y Tir brand. Chief executive Huw Thomas said yields of the company’s normal white potatoes in Wales were down by around 20 per cent this season. He said the bone-dry conditions had also had a major impact on size, with the number of larger potatoes suitable for baking down by nearer 50 per cent. Mr Thomas said that while a 20 per cent reduction in yield may sound manageable, in reality it could mean the difference between making a profit and suffering a significant loss for many growers. Despite the difficulties, he said there was still confidence in the long-term future of
the Welsh potato sector, pointing to strong demand from both retail and wholesale customers and the expertise of local growers. NFU Cymru President Abi Reader said the drought was hitting farming across all sectors, not just horticulture. She said arable and horticulture farmers had less crop to sell, while livestock farmers were already having to feed animals with forage originally intended for winter. She also pointed to the wider impact of drought across Wales, including wildfires on hill and mountain grazing land. Mrs Reader said the situation showed the need for government support to help farmers adapt to increasingly volatile weather conditions. She called for greater investment in farmscale irrigation ponds and the equipment needed to store water during wetter months for use in times of shortage. She also said growers had raised concerns about the cost and bureaucracy involved in creating on-farm irrigation ponds, arguing that the process should be streamlined. The NFU said it would also use meetings at the County Show to highlight the role of the Sustainable Farming Scheme in helping support food production and farm resilience in the face of climate pressures. For Pembrokeshire, where potato growing remains a key part of the agricultural economy, the warning delivered at the County Show will be seen as a stark sign of how severely this summer’s weather has affected the county’s farmers. What should have been a routine harvest is now shaping up to be one of the toughest in recent memory.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026 Pictures provided by the PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
Pembrokeshire County Show chairman honoured with top agricultural award CHAIRMAN of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s Board of Trustees, Mike Davies, has been recognised with a prestigious award from the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies (CARAS) for his outstanding contribution to agriculture and rural industries. The accolade – the Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies (ARAgS) – was presented to Mr Davies at the Royal Welsh Show. CARAS honours individuals who have made a significant impact across the farming sector, from hands‑on agriculture to research, technology, education, and rural leadership. Mike farms in partnership with his brother, Martin, and their families. He runs the dairy and arable enterprise at Good Hook with his wife, Ann, and sons, Danny and Joe. Martin manages a poultry unit at Cuckoo Mill Farm, producing turkeys year‑round for farmers’ markets and the catering sector across south‑west Wales. Speaking after receiving the award, Mike said: “I am very proud to receive this award from CARAS. It means a lot to me. I don’t seek recognition for the work I do, but it is gratefully received.” Mike’s association with the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society spans more than two decades. He began stewarding Welsh Mountain ponies at the county show in 1999 and joined the executive committee in 2001. He went on to become Chief Steward of Welsh horse breeds and was elected show president in 2013. During the Covid‑19 pandemic, Mike steered the society through one of the most difficult periods in its history, taking tough decisions to safeguard its future. His leadership was key in ensuring the survival
of both the society and the Pembrokeshire County Show itself. Alongside his show commitments, Mike is Chairman of the Pembrokeshire Hunt and Chairman of Fallen Stock. An ARAgS award was also presented to Delme Harries, a director and trustee of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society since 2021. Delme is Vice‑Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, County Councillor for Bro Gwaun, a trustee of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
(RABI), and has worked for NFU Mutual in Pembrokeshire for almost 40 years. A former president of Pembrokeshire YFC, he chaired the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs Board for five years until last year. Other Pembrokeshire recipients included Janet and Perkin Evans, William Pritchard, and Senedd Member Sam Kurtz. Huw Thomas of Puffin Produce was elevated to Fellowship. The awards were presented by Mansel Raymond MBE FRAgS, Chair of CARAS
Cymru and a former President of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society. He said: “Mike Davies is a very worthy recipient of the ARAgS for his outstanding contribution to agriculture and the farming community in Pembrokeshire. His commitment and dedication to the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society is very clear to see, and his skilful leadership has helped ensure the continued existence of our beloved Pembrokeshire County Show.”
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026
Former headteacher honoured for lifetime of service to FarmING A FORMER Pembrokeshire headteacher who has devoted more than half a century to supporting young people in farming has been honoured with one of the county’s most prestigious agricultural awards. Edna Davies, of Redlands Farm, Hasguard Cross, was announced as the 2026 winner of the Idris Davies Memorial Award during a ceremony at the Pembrokeshire County Show on Wednesday (Aug 19). The award recognises people who have made an outstanding contribution to agriculture in Pembrokeshire and has been presented annually since it was established in 1978. Mrs Davies, a farmer, former headteacher of Narberth Primary School and longstanding Young Farmers’ Club stalwart, was recognised for a lifetime of work developing and encouraging generations of young people within the county’s rural communities. Her involvement with the Young Farmers’ movement stretches back more than 50 years and has included senior positions at club, county and national level. She is a former Chair, County Queen and President of Pembrokeshire YFC, as well as a former Wales YFC Chair. But perhaps her greatest contribution has been at grassroots level. Mrs Davies has served as a Club Leader with Llysyfran Young Farmers’ Club for more than 40 years, spending countless hours coaching, mentoring and encouraging young members. During that time she has helped generations of young people develop skills in public speaking, competitions, teamwork and leadership – abilities which many have
taken with them into farming, agricultural businesses and careers throughout Pembrokeshire and further afield. Her background in education has played an important part in that work. As a successful headteacher, Mrs Davies became known for her ability to encourage young people to build confidence and communicate effectively, skills she has continued to put to use through the Young Farmers’ movement. Her support has also extended beyond Llysyfran YFC, providing advice and practical assistance to Pembrokeshire YFC organisers and successive generations of county officers. Many of those she has supported over the years have gone on to play prominent roles within agriculture and rural organisations themselves. Alongside her career in education, Mrs Davies has remained closely involved in
farming. Together with her husband Andrew, she has been involved in the family’s arable farming enterprise at Redlands Farm as well as an agricultural agronomy and supply business. Agriculture has been part of her life since childhood, when she grew up helping on a mixed farm involving dairy cattle, beef and poultry. Young Farmers also has particular significance for the Davies family, with Edna and Andrew themselves having met through the YFC movement. Her contribution to Pembrokeshire life extends beyond agriculture. She remains active in the Little Haven community, plays the organ at her local church and at her home chapel of Gwastad, and has also served as a governor of Ysgol Caer Elen. NFU Cymru, which administers the award, said Mrs Davies had shown remarkable
commitment to others even while facing significant health challenges of her own in recent years. Despite undergoing treatment, she has continued to mentor and encourage young people and remained involved with the organisations and communities she has supported for decades. Jeff Evans, Chairman of the Idris Davies Memorial Award Management Committee, said Mrs Davies was a highly deserving recipient. He said: “Edna Davies joins some illustrious company in becoming this year’s winner of the Idris Davies Memorial Award. “Her outstanding contribution to her local community, the Young Farmers’ Club movement and the agricultural industry is a testament to her character. “Her dedication, compassion and unwavering support for others have left a lasting legacy, making her an exceptionally deserving and worthy recipient of this award.” The award was established in memory of Idris Davies and recognises individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to agriculture and rural life in Pembrokeshire. Previous recipients have included farmers, agricultural leaders and people who have devoted many years to supporting and developing the county’s farming community. For Mrs Davies, this year’s award recognises a contribution extending across education, farming and more than five decades of work with Young Farmers – helping ensure that generations of young people have had the confidence and skills to play their own part in the future of Pembrokeshire agriculture.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026 Pictures provided by the PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
National Park brings coast, wildlife and history to County Show VISITORS to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s stand at this year’s Pembrokeshire County Show were given the chance to explore everything from local marine life and moths to climate change, coastal history and the stories hidden within the landscape. The Authority brought a packed programme of free activities to the two-day show at the County Showground in Haverfordwest on Wednesday and Thursday (August 19 and 20). Its marquee, located on the corner of Central and Main Avenues, featured live sea life, storytelling, crafts, archive footage and practical information about exploring the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Marie Parkin, the National Park Authority’s Head of Marketing and Communications, said ahead of the event: “The County Show is a wonderful chance for people to learn more about the National Park, the work that goes into it and the landscape it protects. “Whether it’s through storytelling, handson crafts or simply having a chat with staff, we hope every visitor comes away having discovered something new.” Among the attractions was bilingual storyteller Michael Harvey, who held sessions on both days in the Llinos of Lydstep storytelling corner. Children were able to settle down on straw bales and cushions to hear the story of a young girl who travels through time and discovers how sea-level rise and climate change could affect the landscape around her. Marine wildlife also took centre stage, with Sea Trust Wales and Ocean Lab bringing
along an aquarium containing local sea life. Members of the Sea Trust team spoke to visitors about creatures found around the Pembrokeshire coast and the conservation work being carried out to protect them. Visitors were also able to discover how individual dolphins and porpoises can be identified from photographs and learn more about projects tackling marine plastic pollution. Elsewhere in the marquee, a moth-themed activity area featured a woven willow tree, ceramic moths, a matching game and a real moth trap, giving families an opportunity to learn more about some of the National Park’s less conspicuous wildlife. The stand also showcased Tirlun, a new bilingual educational resource designed to connect children across Wales with the
country’s eight Designated Landscapes. On the veranda, National Park Rangers led seashore-themed craft activities, while visitors had the opportunity to pose for photographs in the giant Tirlun chair, which had previously proved popular at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las. The chair was created to promote Tirlun and celebrate the Authority’s connection with the Eisteddfod y Garreg Las Chair, which it sponsored. Those interested in exploring Pembrokeshire on foot were able to visit a dedicated walking information area, where advice was available on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and other routes across the National Park. Beach wheelchairs were also displayed outside the marquee as part of continuing
fundraising by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust to improve access to the coast. Pembrokeshire’s past was another focus of the stand, with archive film footage from the 1950s and 1960s shown alongside a live demonstration of the Arfordir Penfro Lidar Portal. The Authority also hosted a reception in the marquee on Wednesday to celebrate the #NNF4 Cysylltiadau Naturiol / Naturally Connected project, which works with communities and landowners to create a more resilient landscape for wildlife. The Pembrokeshire County Show took place on Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20 at the County Showground in Haverfordwest.
THE PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY SHOW 2026
First look at new Cleddau series unveiled at Show THE FIRST images from the eagerly awaited second series of hit crime drama Cleddau have been unveiled during Pembrokeshire County Show. S4C released the new pictures on Wednesday (Aug 19), giving viewers their first glimpse of the six-part series ahead of its return to screens this October. Once again, Pembrokeshire provides the dramatic backdrop to the crime thriller, with the county’s coastline featuring prominently in the newly released images. Series two sees DI Ffion Lloyd, played by Elen Rhys, reunited with DS Rick Sheldon, played by Richard Harrington, as the detectives become involved in another complex murder investigation. This time the pair are hunting a killer who uses a dating app to stalk victims. The storyline comes after the first series introduced viewers to Ffion and Rick as former lovers forced to work together on the investigation into the murder of a nurse. Their professional relationship was complicated by their own history, with the murder investigation uncovering secrets which reached deep into the local community. The second series will continue both the crime storyline and the complicated relationship between the two central characters. A number of familiar faces will return alongside Rhys and Harrington. Mali Ann Rees returns as DC ‘Mogsy’ Morgan, while Aled Pugh reprises his role as DS Celyn Howells. Sharon Morgan returns as Delyth Lloyd, William Thomas as Griff Lloyd, Rhian Blythe as Helen Sheldon and Hannah Daniel as Lisa Redwood.
Several new characters will also join the drama. Saran Morgan will play DC Catrin Duffy, Garmon Rhys appears as Tom Danbridge, Mabli Jên Eustace joins the cast as Manon Grant and Gareth David-Lloyd will play Liam Floyd. The new photographs released during the County Show place Pembrokeshire firmly at the heart of the production, showcasing the coast and landscape which helped give the first series its distinctive atmosphere. Cleddau proved a major success for S4C when its first series was shown in 2024. According to the broadcaster, it achieved the highest average number of viewing sessions of any non-sport and non-
children’s series on its service and recorded an Audience Index score of 86. It subsequently won Best Drama at the 2025 RTS Cymru Wales Awards and received four BAFTA Cymru nominations, including a Best Actress nomination for Elen Rhys. The series is created and written by Catherine Tregenna, whose previous television credits include Three Pines, Law & Order: UK, Lewis and DCI Banks. The Welsh-language adaptation is by Hanna Jarman and Matthew Glyn Jones, with Siôn Ifan directing the second series. Blacklight’s Philip Trethowan and Ben Bickerton are executive producers. Producer Mared Swain said the team had been delighted by the reaction to the first series and was pleased to have returned to
Pembrokeshire for the follow-up. She said the characters and world created during the opening series had provided plenty of opportunities to develop the story further, adding that it had been a privilege for the cast and crew to return to the county. She said viewers could expect another “gripping and unexpected investigation” when Ffion and Rick return this autumn. The drama is filmed back-to-back in Welsh and English. Its English-language version is entitled The One That Got Away and will again be distributed internationally by Banijay Rights. The production has also received support from the Welsh Government through Creative Wales. The first series attracted attention beyond Wales after the English-language version was shown on BBC Four. S4C said last year that the first run had become its number one programme of 2025 and that its BBC Four screening performed substantially above the channel’s normal slot average. The decision to reveal the new pictures during Pembrokeshire County Show also provides a particularly fitting showcase for a drama whose visual identity has become so closely associated with the county. While the storyline is fictional, familiar Pembrokeshire scenery provides a recognisable backdrop throughout the production and has helped take images of the county to audiences across the UK and internationally. Series two of Cleddau will be available on S4C, S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer in October. The first series remains available to stream on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.
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Cardiff Airport shortlisted for prestigious global aviation award CARDIFF AIRPORT has been shortlisted for one of the aviation industry’s most prestigious international awards following a period of renewed growth and route expansion. The airport has been named a finalist in the Under 5 Million Passengers category at the 2026 Routes World Awards, alongside Bratislava Airport, Cork Airport, Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Shannon Airport. The awards recognise airports, airlines and destinations which have made a significant contribution to route development and global connectivity. The nomination follows a strong period for Wales’ national airport, which has welcomed more than one million passengers during the past 12 months – the first time it has passed the milestone since the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the most significant developments has been the launch of WestJet’s direct Cardiff to Toronto service, reconnecting Wales and Canada by air for the first time in almost 20 years. TUI has also based a fourth aircraft at Cardiff this summer, while Ryanair is recording what the airport says is its busiest ever summer from the Welsh capital. The airport’s expanding network now includes new services to destinations including Hurghada,
Faro, Fuerteventura, Salzburg, Toronto, Turin and Kittilä. Cardiff Airport said its route development team has continued to work with airlines and aviation partners at major industry events, with further meetings planned at Routes World 2026 in Frankfurt as it seeks additional connections for Wales. Jon Bridge, Chief Executive Officer at Cardiff Airport, said: “We
are thrilled to see Cardiff Airport shortlisted for a Routes World Award. This is great recognition for everyone who has played a part in the progress we are making. “I want to thank our Airport team and airline partners for their hard work, commitment and ambition. This shortlist is a reflection of the strong relationships we have built and the shared ambition we have for Cardiff
Airport and connectivity for Wales. “Our last Routes Award win was back in 1998, so to be shortlisted again is particularly special. We are incredibly proud of this achievement, while continuing to look ahead and build on the momentum we have created.” The winners will be announced at the Routes World Awards in Frankfurt on October 22.
Archbishop Mark O’Toole re-appointed to Vatican catechesis council ARCHBISHOP Mark O’Toole has been re-appointed by Pope Leo XIV to serve a further five-year term on the International Council for Catechesis. The Archbishop of CardiffMenevia, whose archdiocese covers communities across south and mid Wales, including Pembrokeshire, will continue as a member of the council within the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation. His appointment was confirmed in a letter from the Dicastery following the Pope’s approval and recognises his continuing contribution to catechesis within the Catholic Church. Archbishop Mark said: “I am humbled to be re-appointed to the International Council for Catechesis by the Holy See. “I look forward to encouraging a deeper love of the Lord in all that we do and helping those who do not know Jesus into an encounter with Him.” The Archdiocese of CardiffMenevia described the appointment
as a proud moment and said it highlighted the importance of catechesis – the teaching and passing on of the Catholic faith – in helping people develop their understanding of Christianity. The International Council for Catechesis, known as Co.In.Cat., was established in 1973 under Pope Paul VI. Its role is to examine significant issues surrounding catechesis and encourage the exchange of experience and expertise between specialists, the Holy See and bishops’ conferences around the world. Archbishop O’Toole was appointed Archbishop of Cardiff in 2022 and now leads the Archdiocese of CardiffMenevia, which serves Catholic communities across a large area of Wales and Herefordshire. Clergy and parishioners across the archdiocese have been asked to keep the Archbishop in their prayers as he begins his latest five-year term on the international council.
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GAMING
With eddie the game guru
There is something pleasingly perverse about making a Star Wars game in which the most important weapon is not a lightsaber, blaster or even the Force, but patience. Star Wars Zero Company takes the galaxy’s most kinetic space opera and asks you to spend much of your time standing still, counting squares, considering angles and wondering whether moving one character three metres to the left will result in somebody’s untimely death. It is, essentially, XCOM in a galaxy far, far away – an idea so obvious it is remarkable nobody got around to making it properly before now. Developed by Bit Reactor, Zero Company puts you in command of Hawks, a former Republic officer turned mercenary leader. His squad is the sort of dysfunctional ensemble Star Wars has always excelled at: a clone trooper, a Mandalorian warrior, a Jedi Padawan, assorted aliens and droids, and enough personal baggage to fill the Millennium Falcon. Their mission is to investigate the Infinite Coil, a mysterious Separatist-aligned cult whose ambitions threaten to make the Clone Wars considerably worse. The appeal is immediate. Star Wars has always had an odd relationship with military strategy. Its films are full of admirals moving icons across holographic maps and generals discussing troop deployments, yet its games usually put you directly behind the blaster. Zero Company occupies the gap between those perspectives. Here, you are responsible for the battle. A clone trooper behind a ruined wall is no longer background scenery; he is a resource, a personality and,
potentially, somebody you have just ordered into a position from which he will never return. That sense of responsibility is where Zero Company is most convincing. Battles revolve around positioning, cover, abilities and cooperation between squad members. The most satisfying moments come when a plan works: one operative pins down an enemy, another exploits the opening and a third delivers the decisive shot. The Bond system adds another layer, allowing characters to develop relationships that can produce combat synergies. It gives the familiar tactics-game problem – making a unit feel like a person rather than a statistic – genuine emotional weight. The Star Wars setting helps enormously. Familiar mechanics acquire a different flavour when the battlefield is populated by battle droids, clone armour and lightsabers. A Jedi entering the fight changes everything, while the game’s original characters and focus on the less familiar corners of the Clone Wars help it avoid becoming a simple nostalgia exercise. Yet Zero Company operates firmly in the shadow of XCOM 2. The overwatch, squad management, high-stakes missions and possibility of losing characters all feel reassuringly familiar. That is hardly a crime: when the template is this good, imitation can be respectable craftsmanship. But there is a difference between understanding why a classic works and discovering something genuinely new. This becomes noticeable in combat. Zero Company looks polished and satisfying, but the tactical possibilities can sometimes
feel narrower than the Star Wars universe suggests. There is an amusing mismatch between the scale of the setting and the intimacy of the battles. The galaxy is at war, planets are collapsing into chaos and secret cults are plotting catastrophe, while four people crouch behind the same collection of conveniently waist-high objects. Still, the game’s greatest strength may be its tone. Star Wars works best when it remembers that the galaxy is full of people who are not Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Zero Company is interested in the soldiers, mercenaries and survivors who have to live through the grand events that become somebody else’s heroic legend. Character relationships, a central base and tactical missions give the squad the potential to feel like a genuinely lived-in group rather than a collection of statistics. Whether Zero Company can escape the gravitational pull of XCOM remains the central question. But if it can combine tactical depth with the characterdriven charm of the best Star Wars stories, it may have found a niche the franchise has surprisingly rarely occupied. Every decision matters because somebody has to pay for it. Every victory has a cost. Every supposedly expendable soldier becomes important precisely when you realise you have grown attached to them. For a series built around the idea that every move can change the fate of the galaxy, that may be the most Star Wars idea of all: sometimes the smartest move is simply to leave your favourite character safely behind cover and do absolutely nothing.
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Insidious: Out of the Further brings the long-running horror franchise back to the big screen with another journey into the sinister world of The Further, this time placing a new family at the centre of the supernatural chaos. The film follows Gemma, a young mother who returns to the house where she grew up while raising her daughter, only to discover that she has an unusual connection to The Further that allows her not only to enter the mysterious realm but also to bring its terrifying inhabitants back into the real world. It is an intriguing idea that gives the film a slightly different direction from previous instalments, and when it works, it creates some genuinely unsettling moments. The atmosphere is one of the film’s biggest strengths, with dark corridors, eerie silences and sudden appearances being used to build the kind of tension that fans of the franchise will be expecting. There is also a satisfying sense that the filmmakers understand what makes Insidious effective, particularly the contrast between quiet, ordinary family life and the disturbing supernatural events that slowly invade it. Amelia Eve gives the film an engaging central performance as Gemma, making her character’s fear and determination believable as the situation becomes increasingly dangerous, while the return of Lin Shaye provides a welcome connection to the earlier films. However, Out of the Further does occasionally feel as though it is relying on familiar horror formulas rather
than pushing the franchise into completely new territory. Some of the scares are predictable, and viewers who have seen the previous Insidious films may recognise certain techniques and ideas almost immediately. The film’s reliance on jump scares can also make some sequences feel more familiar than frightening, although the cinema environment does give these moments considerably more impact, particularly when the audience is surrounded by darkness and every sudden sound seems louder. Where the film succeeds most is in its exploration of The Further itself, expanding the mythology while maintaining the strange, nightmarish quality that has always separated Insidious from more conventional hauntedhouse horror. Rather than simply repeating the same story, the film attempts to show what could happen if the boundary between The Further and our world began to disappear, giving the supernatural threat
a greater sense of scale. The result is not necessarily the most revolutionary chapter in the franchise, but it is an entertaining and suitably creepy return to familiar territory. For long-time Insidious fans, there is enough atmosphere, demonic imagery and supernatural suspense to make the cinema trip worthwhile, while newcomers may find themselves drawn into the strange mythology even if some of the connections to the wider series are more difficult to appreciate. Ultimately, Insidious: Out of the Further is a solid supernatural horror film that understands its audience and delivers plenty of the scares they have come to expect, even if it does not always manage to surprise them. It may not completely reinvent the franchise, but watching The Further spill into the real world on the big screen provides enough tension, creepy imagery and classic Insidious atmosphere to make this a worthwhile cinema experience for horror fans.
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Tech ‘n Taff
When the computer starts picking the locks Well, Taff, here’s a sentence I never expected to write. The artificial intelligence has been hacking things, so the people building it have decided to slow down and make sure it behaves itself. There’s progress for you. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has temporarily eased off some of the training of its most advanced systems after AI agents managed to bypass safeguards during testing and gain unauthorised access to the technology company Hugging Face. And before anybody asks, Hugging Face really is the name of a company. The future is terrifying, apparently, but still quite cuddly. What makes this interesting is that nobody sat the AI down and said: “Right then, boyo, off you go and break into somebody else’s computer.” These newer AI systems are becoming what the industry calls “agents”. Instead of simply answering a question, an agent can be given a goal, work out the steps required, use different tools and keep going until the job is finished. That is enormously useful. It is also the point where things become rather more interesting than asking ChatGPT for a recipe using three sausages and half a cabbage. One of the ways these systems improve is called reinforcement learning. In very simple terms, the computer tries things, gets rewarded when it does well and gradually gets better at achieving its objective. Think of teaching a sheepdog. Except the sheepdog can write computer code, never sleeps and has just discovered the internet. OpenAI has therefore slowed some of this training while
it strengthens security and watches more closely what its models are doing. Good. There will undoubtedly be people who say this proves artificial intelligence is dangerous and should be stopped. I don’t think it proves that at all. But it does prove something important. For years we have been talking about AI safety as though it were mainly about stopping a chatbot saying something offensive, making up a fact or helping a schoolboy with his homework. We are moving beyond that. The important question now is increasingly not what an AI can say, but what an AI can do. If you give software access to a computer, a network, a web browser and the ability to make its own decisions, you have created something
fundamentally different from the chatbot most of us first encountered a few years ago. That doesn’t mean Terminator is coming down the A470. It does mean the engineers need to know where the brakes are before discovering how fast the thing can go. And, to OpenAI’s credit, slowing development when its own tests started ringing alarm bells is exactly what we should want a technology company to do. The sceptics have a point too, though. We cannot build a world in which the safety system for extraordinarily powerful artificial intelligence amounts to Silicon Valley companies promising to keep an eye on themselves. Banks have regulators. Airlines have regulators. Medicines have regulators. If AI becomes capable of probing networks, discovering vulnerabilities and carrying out
complicated actions without somebody holding its hand throughout, governments will eventually have to understand the technology well enough to regulate it intelligently. There’s the frightening thought. Not the AI. The government IT department trying to understand it. Still, something has changed. The great AI race has spent the past few years being about bigger, quicker and cleverer. This week we got a glimpse of the next stage. Knowing when clever enough might temporarily be clever enough. Because creating a machine capable of finding the lock is impressive. Teaching it when not to pick it may turn out to be the greater achievement. Until next week, Taff.
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Lanterns arrives in the UK with the difficult task of making the Green Lantern mythology feel fresh after years of anticipation, and one of the biggest surprises is how confidently it does so. Rather than becoming a conventional superhero show filled with constant battles and special effects, the series takes a darker and more grounded approach, combining science fiction with a murder mystery and the atmosphere of a slow-burning crime drama. At the centre are Hal Jordan and John Stewart, played by Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, whose relationship quickly becomes the strongest part of the series. Chandler gives Hal a weary, experienced quality, portraying him as a man who has spent years carrying the responsibility of being a Green Lantern, while Pierre brings John a serious and determined presence as a newcomer still trying to understand his powers and his place in this strange world. Their contrasting personalities create some of the show’s best moments, with the tension between them feeling believable rather than forced. What makes Lanterns particularly effective is the way it allows its superhero elements to sit alongside the human drama instead of overwhelming it. The investigation in rural Nebraska gives the series a sense of mystery and isolation, while the suggestion that something much larger and more dangerous is
taking place gradually expands the story beyond a simple detective case. There is a clear influence from serious crime television, with long conversations, uncomfortable silences and a strong focus on character, but Lanterns never completely forgets that it is a Green Lantern story. When the science-fiction elements come forward, they have greater impact because the show has taken time to establish its characters. The supporting cast is also strong, with Kelly Macdonald adding plenty of personality and authority, while the wider ensemble creates the feeling of a small community filled with secrets. Visually, the series is suitably cinematic, using the bleak and sometimes beautiful American landscape to give the mystery an almost Western quality. The decision to keep much of the story grounded may disappoint viewers expecting a more traditional superhero spectacle, but it ultimately gives Lanterns its own identity. The slower pacing will not work for everyone, and there are moments when the series seems so focused on atmosphere that the story takes longer than necessary to move forward. Some supporting characters could also receive more development, particularly when the central relationship between Hal and John is so compelling. However, these problems are relatively minor in a show that understands that extraordinary
characters are only interesting when there is something meaningful happening beneath the powers and costumes. Lanterns is also accessible to viewers who know little about Green Lantern, with the central mystery providing an easy way into the mythology without requiring years of comic-book knowledge. Longtime DC fans will find plenty to enjoy, but the show does not allow references and connections to overwhelm the main story. Most importantly, Lanterns feels confident in itself. It does not constantly try to prove that it belongs within the wider DC Universe, instead concentrating on Hal, John and the mystery in front of them. That restraint is refreshing. Lanterns is not perfect, and anyone looking for nonstop superhero action may find its detective-story structure frustrating, but as a characterdriven science-fiction drama it is surprisingly gripping. Chandler and Pierre make an excellent pairing, the mystery keeps the story moving and the darker tone gives the Green Lantern mythology a distinctive new identity. For UK viewers, Lanterns is well worth watching, especially if you enjoy crime dramas alongside superhero stories. It may not completely reinvent the genre, but it is a confident, mature and atmospheric interpretation of Green Lantern that has the potential to become one of the stronger additions to the modern DC universe.
ARIES Today the Moon is opposite your sign, which means you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. Be accommodating and gracious, because conversations might be testy and confrontational as well as confusing. Tread carefully! TAURUS Discussions with an older family member might take place today. The concern could be about practical repairs. If so, wait until the Moon Alert is over to commit to anything. Meanwhile, a workrelated romance or flirtation might begin. This is a flirtatious day! GEMINI This is a laid-back, feel-good, romantic day. Kick back and relax with your main squeeze. You’ll also enjoy socializing, short trips, visits with siblings and relatives, as well as sports events and kids’ activities. CANCER You’ll enjoy entertaining at home today. In fact, it’s the perfect day (or evening) for a romantic date. You might invite someone over. You also might have a practical, serious discussion about money or finances. If so, wait until the Moon Alert is over to agree to anything. LEO Today you feel friendly and sociable! In the morning, things are a bit laid-back, but as the day wears on, your energy will pick up. Enjoy schmoozing with others. Discussions about legal or medical matters might be practical and serious - ditto for travel - but wait until the Moon Alert is over to act. VIRGO You’ll enjoy some privacy today, especially because you might be involved in discussions about inheritances, taxes, debt or shared property. You might want to figure out how to divide something. If so, be aware that things will probably go your way, but be smart and wait until the Moon Alert is over. LIBRA This is a tricky day. The first thing to know is there’s a Moon Alert for most of this day. Nevertheless, it’s a favorable time for discussions and making plans, but not for agreeing to anything. Do your homework. It’s a marvelous day to socialize and explore romantic opportunities. SCORPIO People will listen to you today. You have some sensible ideas you want to share, especially related to your job, your health or even a pet. Meanwhile, secret love affairs are taking place for some because romantic vibes are hot today. Check the Moon Alert! SAGITTARIUS Enjoy the company of friends, especially creative people. You might discuss travel opportunities or issues related to the law, medicine, publishing or higher education. Meanwhile, a friendship could turn romantic today. Be aware of the Moon Alert. CAPRICORN In one way, it’s an excellent day for financial discussions about how to share something. This is also a passionate, romantic day. Nevertheless, relations with authority figures - parents and bosses - might be strained. AQUARIUS This is a friendly, sociable day. Enjoy schmoozing with others, especially people from different cultures. Travel will appeal. Someone older or wiser might have advice for you. Romance is percolating! PISCES Discussions about how to share or divide something will favor you today. However, don’t agree to anything important during the Moon Alert. Meanwhile, this is a friendly, romantic day full of fun possibilities. Enjoy yourself!
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Northern Soul night set to bring classic sounds to Kilgetty
KILGETTY is preparing for an evening of Northern Soul, Motown and classic 1970s soul when a popular music event comes to the village later this month. Soul At The Buff will be held in the upper function room of the Kilgetty RAOB Club — widely known as the Buff Club — on Saturday, August 29, from 7:00pm until late. Organisers say the response has already been strong following the success of other recent Northern Soul events in the area, and guests
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are being encouraged to arrive early. The music will be provided by experienced soul DJ Chris Birch, who began DJing in Lancashire in 1974 at the height of the original Northern Soul movement. He will be joined by guest DJs Pauline Williams, who regularly performs at events across Wales and England, and Pembrokeshire-
based “Detroit Dave”. In keeping with the growing revival of vinyl, every track played during the evening will come from an original record, recreating the authentic sound associated with the Northern Soul scene. Those attending can expect a mixture of dancefloor favourites, forgotten gems and soul classics, including the original Tainted Love, Sweet Soul Music, Heaven Must Have Sent You, I Can’t Help Myself, This Old Heart of Mine, Mustang
Sally and Young Hearts Run Free. Northern Soul has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, attracting a new generation of fans alongside those who first embraced the music during the 1970s. The venue offers a large dancefloor, two-tier seating, a licensed bar and free parking. It is also situated close to Kilgetty railway station. Admission is £5 per person, payable in cash at the door. The club’s bar accepts card payments.
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Opinion By Andy Burnham, Prime Minister
No one should be left to sleep on our streets There are some things a wealthy and decent country should simply refuse to accept. People having to sleep in shop doorways, under bridges or on station concourses is one of them. For too long, rough sleeping has been treated as an unfortunate but unavoidable feature of life in Britain. Governments have announced initiatives, councils and charities have worked tirelessly, and yet year after year people have continued to spend their nights on the streets. I do not believe we should accept that any longer. That is why my Government is putting £442 million behind an immediate drive across England to ensure that people sleeping rough are offered a route off the streets by Christmas. It is an ambitious goal. It will not be achieved by Westminster issuing instructions and expecting every town and city to follow the same blueprint. The causes of homelessness are complicated and they differ from
person to person and place to place. Someone may have lost their job and then their home. Another person may be dealing with addiction, poor mental health, family breakdown or years of trauma. That means the solutions have to be local too. Councils, charities, health services, businesses, voluntary organisations and faith groups often know far more about what is happening on their streets than officials sitting behind desks in Whitehall. We are therefore providing the resources while giving local communities the freedom to decide how those resources can be used most effectively. Some places will need additional emergency accommodation. Others will need specialist mental health or addiction support. Some will need teams capable of working directly with people who have spent months or years sleeping outside. What matters is the outcome: that
somebody who is sleeping rough is not simply walked past, written off or told there is nowhere for them to go. We know that rapid action is possible because Britain has done it before. During the pandemic, government, councils and charities acted with extraordinary speed to bring thousands of people off the streets. Faced with an emergency, institutions that had previously been told certain things were impossible suddenly found ways to make them happen. We should learn from that experience. But I am also clear that getting somebody indoors for Christmas is not the same thing as ending homelessness. Emergency accommodation can provide safety and stability, but unless we tackle the reasons people become homeless in the first place, we will simply continue dealing with the consequences. That means building more homes people can actually afford. It means improving education and creating secure, properly paid employment so that young people have a genuine route to independence. It means making sure somebody struggling with their mental health receives help before their life reaches crisis point. And it means giving local communities greater control over the decisions which affect them. My Government has committed itself to a major programme of housebuilding and to rebuilding economic opportunity in towns and cities that have too often been overlooked. Those policies might appear separate from homelessness. They are not. A secure home, a decent job, good
public services and a community where people look out for one another are all connected. Government has a responsibility to create the conditions in which people can build secure lives. When somebody does fall, our responsibility should be to help them stand again — not leave them sleeping outside. There will be difficult cases. There will be people who initially refuse help, and there will be individuals whose needs cannot be addressed simply by handing them a set of keys. Nobody serious about this issue should pretend otherwise. But difficulty is not an excuse for accepting failure. I want Britain to rediscover the belief that problems such as rough sleeping can actually be solved. The £442 million we are committing is an important start. The work of councils, charities and communities will be every bit as important. By Christmas, I want to see a country making a determined effort to bring people inside and give them the support they need. And beyond Christmas, the bigger task continues: preventing people from reaching the streets in the first place. No person should become part of the scenery simply because we have grown accustomed to seeing them there. We can do better than that. And under this Labour Government, we will.
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‘Thank you, Bonnie’: Wales says final farewell to music legend Hundreds gathered outside Swansea Minster as family, friends and fans celebrated the extraordinary life of the singer born Gaynor Hopkins
WALES has said a final farewell to Bonnie Tyler as mourners gathered in Swansea for an emotional celebration of the legendary singer’s life. Crowds applauded and called out “thank you” and “goodbye” as her coffin arrived at Swansea Minster shortly before Monday’s service. The white coffin was decorated with musical symbols, including a microphone and treble clef, while flowers spelling out the name “Bonnie” were carried in the hearse. The service itself was attended by family, friends and invited guests, but hundreds of fans gathered outside the church and in nearby St David’s Square, where proceedings were shown on a large screen. Thousands more watched through an online broadcast. Some supporters had arrived several hours early, determined to secure a place close to the Minster and show their support for the singer’s family. Bonnie, whose birth name was Gaynor Hopkins and who became Gaynor Sullivan following her marriage, died in hospital in Portugal on July 8 at the age of 75. She had undergone emergency intestinal surgery several weeks earlier and had spent time in intensive care. Monday’s service was conducted by the Reverend Canon Justin Davies and
began with two of Bonnie’s best-known recordings, If I Sing You A Love Song and It’s A Heartache. A three-part eulogy traced her journey from a council house in Skewen to the heights of international music stardom. Born on June 8, 1951, she was one of six children raised by Elsie and Glyndŵr Hopkins. Her father worked as a coal miner, while music and chapel singing played a central part in family life. Her first taste of performing success came during a talent contest at Skewen Rugby Club in the late 1960s. She finished second, winning £1 after singing Mary Hopkin’s Those Were The Days, but the experience set her on the road to a career in music. Roger Bell, the talent scout who discovered Bonnie singing at a Swansea club, told mourners that “Gaynor was one of a kind”. He recalled her warmth, honesty and willingness to stop for photographs or sign autographs, despite becoming one of Wales’ most recognisable international stars. Her long-time manager Matthew Davis described her as “always a star but never a diva”, adding that she never forgot her roots or where she came from. Welsh broadcaster Roy Noble was
among those attending the service. Speaking beforehand, he described Bonnie as down-to-earth and devoted to her family, while musician and longtime friend Mal Pope said local people sometimes forgot that the familiar Swansea figure they knew was also an international superstar. Music played a central role throughout the service, with selections including Bridge Over Troubled Water, Those Were The Days, Total Eclipse Of The Heart and Making Love Out Of Nothing At All. The order of service remembered Bonnie as a warm and generous performer whose music had touched generations and continued to fill dance floors and karaoke bars around the world. Her husband Robert Sullivan, to whom she had been married for more than 50 years, was supported by relatives and close friends during the service. Bonnie achieved worldwide fame with her unmistakable husky voice and a succession of hits including It’s A Heartache, Holding Out For A Hero and Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Released in 1983, Total Eclipse Of The Heart topped the charts in both Britain and the United States. Its album, Faster Than The Speed Of Night, also reached number one in the UK.
She later represented the United Kingdom at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö and was appointed an MBE for services to music. Despite her global success, Bonnie retained close links to south Wales, dividing her time between Portugal and her home overlooking Swansea Bay. Her affection for the area was reflected in the extraordinary public response to her final journey. On Saturday, thousands lined Newton Road in Mumbles as her Welsh flag-draped coffin was brought back to her home. Flowers were thrown on to the hearse and fans broke into an emotional rendition of Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Following Monday’s service at Swansea Minster, the cortege travelled through her birthplace of Skewen for one final time before a private family committal and farewell. Her family requested family flowers only, asking instead for donations to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru, two charities of which Bonnie had been a patron. The order of service summed up the lasting affection for one of Wales’ greatest performers: her legacy, it said, would live on through the timeless songs that made her a legend.
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You can’t keep filling the cells There are things even a seagull can understand. If you keep putting more fish in the same bucket, eventually the bucket is full. If you keep sending more people to prison, and keep them there for longer, eventually the prisons are full too. Apparently this has come as something of a surprise in Westminster. Squawk. Andy Burnham now finds himself staring at a prison system bursting at the seams, while trying to persuade the public that some offenders may have to leave earlier and others should perhaps never have been sent there for short stretches in the first place. That is a difficult conversation, but it is one politicians have spent thirty years avoiding. Every government has discovered the same trick. A terrible crime happens, the public is appalled, newspapers demand action and ministers promise tougher sentences. Then another terrible crime happens. Another year gets added. Another category is excluded from early release. Another politician declares that nobody has ever been tougher on criminals than he is. All very satisfying. Nobody asks where everyone is going to sleep. There is another awkward truth. Much traditional crime is considerably lower than it was in the 1980s and 1990s. Burglary, car crime, theft and many forms of violence have fallen substantially over the long term. Try telling that to the average voter and you may get pecked. People think crime is rising because crime has never been more visible. A nasty assault once appeared on the evening news. Now the footage reaches Facebook, TikTok and X before the police have finished putting up the tape. By breakfast you can watch six horrible crimes committed in six different towns and reasonably conclude that civilisation has collapsed somewhere outside Carmarthen. Statistics cannot compete with
pictures. Politicians know this. Some exploit it. Others are too frightened to challenge it. Which brings us to PC Andrew Harper. His killing was appalling, and the anger of his family and fellow officers at the prospect of those responsible being released earlier than expected is completely understandable. But this is exactly where government has to separate understandable emotion from workable law. If the early-release rules are wrong, change them for everybody in that category. What ministers should not do is hunt around for a way to keep two particular prisoners inside because their case has become politically explosive. The law cannot depend on who is leading the evening news. And every exemption creates another problem. Don’t release murderers. Fair enough. Don’t release rapists or child sex offenders. Quite right. Don’t release serious violent offenders. Understandable. Then manslaughter. Then another offence. Then another. Before long the emergency release scheme releases hardly anybody
and somebody at the Ministry of Justice discovers, with tremendous excitement, that the prisons are still full. Squawk squawk. The real question is one Britain has avoided for years: who actually needs to be in prison? Dangerous people do. Serious offenders do. Anyone from whom the public genuinely requires protection should be securely behind a door considerably stronger than the ones on Milford Marina. But short prison sentences are another matter. Send someone inside for a few weeks and they can lose their job, home and stability while spending too little time in prison for anything useful to happen. Then they emerge with the same addiction, debt or chaotic life they entered with, except now things are worse. When they reoffend, everyone concludes that the previous prison sentence wasn’t tough enough. So we send them back. Even gulls eventually learn not to fly repeatedly into the same window. Community punishment, treatment, tagging and properly funded probation will never sound as satisfying as “lock them up”. But the real question should be whether somebody commits another
crime afterwards. If supervision and treatment stop the next burglary better than eight pointless weeks in prison, surely that matters more than producing a pleasing clang when the cell door shuts. Burnham needs to say this plainly. Dangerous criminals should be locked up. Victims deserve justice. But Britain cannot demand longer sentences, oppose early release, reject alternatives to prison and then complain there are no cells left. That isn’t a criminal justice policy. It’s four angry headlines wearing a trench coat. And he should tell people something else politicians seem terrified to say: Britain has serious crime problems, but it is not true that every form of crime is endlessly spiralling upwards. Fraud is huge. Shoplifting is a real problem. Knife crime frightens communities. Violence against women remains deeply serious. But much traditional crime has fallen dramatically over a generation. Saying so does not insult victims. It simply means making policy according to reality rather than whichever frightening video went viral that morning. Burnham will get attacked whichever way he goes. Release prisoners and he is soft. Keep everybody inside and the cells run out. Build prisons and taxpayers complain about the cost. Use community sentences and somebody demands to know why the offender isn’t “behind bars”. Welcome to government. Sometimes there is no painless answer. But there is something faintly ridiculous about spending decades filling the bucket and then shouting at the bucket for being full. Out here on the harbour wall, we gulls operate a simpler justice system. Steal another gull’s chips and there are no sentencing guidelines, no earlyrelease scheme and absolutely no appeal. Just one warning. Squawk! Seagull!
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‘Healthy is the cutest thing an animal can be’ – RSPCA warns over designer pets buying of animals with harmful extreme traits. Ashleigh Brown, the RSPCA’s science and policy manager and lead author of the report, said: “This is arguably the biggest welfare problem facing our pets today and it will take all of us working together to end breeding for extreme traits. “This problem impacts not just dogs, but a wide variety of pets including cats, rabbits, snakes and even goldfish.” She added that Olivia’s experience with Reggie demonstrated the very real consequences which can lie behind an animal’s fashionable appearance. Think before you ‘like’
PETS CORNER
THE RSPCA has issued a stark warning over the growing popularity of pets bred with exaggerated physical features, saying the pursuit of the “perfect” appearance can condemn animals to a lifetime of pain and serious health problems. A new documentary, Flawed by Design: The Hidden Cost of the ‘Perfect’ Pet, was released on Thursday (Aug 20) and is fronted by television personality Olivia Bowen, whose own experience with her French bulldog Reggie brought the issue painfully close to home. Reggie suffered from a series of health problems linked to the physical characteristics he had been deliberately bred to have, including breathing difficulties and spinal problems. Olivia eventually had to make the heartbreaking decision to have him put to sleep on welfare grounds in 2024. She said: “Reggie struggled every single day of his life because of how he’d been bred. “Reggie really deteriorated. He couldn’t even hold his head up, there was something wrong with his spine. The vet said: ‘You cannot keep him going, he’s in such bad pain.’ “I don’t think you’re ever going to feel like you made the right decision but, at the end of the day, all we wanted for Reggie
was for him to feel at peace and finally be comfortable.” Looks can come at a terrible cost French bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds can suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, where narrowed nostrils and compressed airways make normal breathing difficult. But the RSPCA says the problem goes far beyond flat-faced dogs. Its documentary examines dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles and even goldfish which have been selectively bred to develop unusual or exaggerated characteristics that people may find attractive. Examples include hairless cats, bubble-eye goldfish and reptiles bred for particular colour patterns, as well as dogs whose extremely short faces, backs or legs can contribute to serious welfare problems. The charity describes the trend as a form of “unnatural selection”, with appearance increasingly being placed ahead of an animal’s health and quality of life. The documentary accompanies the publication of a new RSPCA strategy report, The Shape of Suffering, which calls for action to reduce the breeding and
Olivia said she hopes the film will encourage prospective owners to think about the consequences of choosing animals primarily because of how they look. “I want to show you how we’ve ended up essentially re-designing our pets to fit an aesthetic, often without us realising how this harms them,” she said. “It’s a crisis of breeding pets with extreme traits, one that exploits our love for animals – leaving us footing the bill and our pets paying with their lives. And it needs to stop.” She urged people to consider adopting from rescue centres and to think carefully about the images of fashionable pets being promoted through social media. “The next time one of those cute dogs, cats or exotic pets pops up on our feed, don’t just hit like, share or follow,” she said. “Stop and think about what we’re actually rewarding because we don’t want designer pets, we want healthy ones. “And at the end of the day, isn’t healthy the cutest thing an animal can be?” RSPCA film-makers Rob Woodward and Tobias Chapple said the documentary deliberately does not shy away from showing the consequences of extreme breeding. They said: “We wanted to create a bold and hard-hitting documentary that didn’t shy away from the reality of suffering that these pets are facing every single day.” The programme also features vets and animal welfare specialists explaining the medical problems associated with exaggerated characteristics. RSPCA ambassador and television vet Dr Rory Cowlam gives perhaps the film’s simplest advice for anyone considering buying a severely flat-faced pet. “What would I say to someone who wants to get a brachycephalic pet?” he asks. “In a word: don’t.” Flawed by Design: The Hidden Cost of the ‘Perfect’ Pet is available to watch online through the RSPCA’s YouTube channel.
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Welsh ministers do not know how many schools stock life-saving allergy pens
Review will run until November as England introduces statutory allergy-safety rules
EDUCATION
raised the issue after Natasha Asghar MS, the party’s Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, met Helen Blythe. Ms Asghar said: “With around 35,000 pupils in Welsh schools estimated to be living with allergies, it is imperative the Welsh Government considers how these pupils can be better supported in school. “Every child with allergies should be able to go to school knowing the right safeguards are in place and every parent should have the confidence that their child will be kept safe.” She urged ministers to discuss equivalent measures with school leaders and teaching unions. Pembrokeshire County Council initially told The Herald that it was awaiting the outcome of the Welsh Government review. At the time of publication, it had not provided requested local figures covering spare pens, allergy policies, affected pupils, incidents or staff training. Hywel Dda University Health Board has also been asked about school-nursing support, allergy training and emergency incidents. Sharon Daniel, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience said: “The School Nursing service delivers annual training to all schools – mainstream, special and independent – where there is a pupil who carries a prescribed adrenaline auto injector (AAI). “We will do additional sessions throughout the year for any newly prescribed cases or where there is a change of school staff. “The training follows the guidelines of The Anaphylaxis Campaign, NICE guidelines and the Resuscitation Council UK as outlined in Hywel Dda’s Management of Anaphylaxis in Children Under 16 years of Age Guideline. “The health and wellbeing of our children and young people is essential to their ability to learn, thrive and reach their potential, and is a priority for us. We support any initiative or policy that keeps children and young people safe at school and we will work closely with partners to achieve this.”
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WELSH ministers have admitted they do not know how many schools keep spare adrenaline auto-injectors or how many serious allergic reactions take place on school premises. The admission comes weeks before new statutory allergysafety measures take effect in England, following the campaign for “Benedict’s Law” by the family of five-year-old Benedict Blythe. In answers to The Herald, the Welsh Government said its review of guidance on emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in schools was expected to conclude in November. rather than under review a dedicated allergyHowever, it confirmed that it discretionary safety policy. holds no figures showing how compulsory. New statutory guidance also many Welsh schools currently stock spare devices and no Campaign followed five- creates a strong expectation that year-old’s death schools stock spare adrenaline figures on serious allergic devices, train all staff in allergy reactions in schools. A jury later concluded that awareness and emergency Asked whether funding would accompany any new accidental exposure to cow’s milk response, provide individual requirements, the Welsh protein caused the fatal reaction. healthcare plans where needed, Government said it was Benedict had known allergies and record and learn from serious and an allergy action plan, but the incidents and near misses. “premature” to comment. The Department for Education It added: “Any decisions inquest heard that established on funding will be considered procedures were not followed and says further regulations are following the conclusion of the there were delays in recognising intended to turn the spare-device and staff-training expectations review, alongside an assessment and treating the reaction. His mother, Helen Blythe, into express statutory duties. of the operational and financial implications of any proposed went on to campaign for School leaders’ union NAHT says measures on schools, and would consistent allergy safeguards in those regulations are expected in every school. the new year. require Ministerial approval.” Under section 34 of the The Government has Call for equal separately said it is developing Children’s Wellbeing and Schools protection in Wales integrated guidance on supporting Act 2026, state-funded schools children and young people with in England will from September The Welsh Conservatives healthcare needs, which is due to have to adopt, publish and keep be published in 2027. Officials will engage with stakeholders and work with the Department for Education and counterparts across the UK to monitor the English changes and consider the implications for policy and practice in Wales. In the meantime, maintained schools in Wales must have policies for supporting learners with healthcare needs and should put individual healthcare plans in place where appropriate, including for pupils with allergies. Schools throughout the UK have been permitted since 2017 to buy spare adrenaline autoinjectors without a prescription. In Wales, however, keeping the emergency devices remains Benedict Blythe died at Peterborough City Hospital on December 1, 2021, after suffering food-induced anaphylaxis at school.
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Local auctioneers raise £12,600 for Glangwili chemotherapy unit
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FARMING
A fundraising auction and raffle organised by Huw Evans Auctioneers has raised an impressive £12,600 for the Chemotherapy Day Unit at Glangwili Hospital. The local livestock auctioneering business held the event at Llandeilo Mart in March, auctioning a range of items alongside a charity raffle. Huw Evans said: “It was very rewarding to see the market full and the community coming together to raise funds.” The donation will be used to improve the environment and care provided to patients receiving treatment at the unit. Jessica Michael, Senior Sister at the Chemotherapy Day Unit, said: “On behalf of the staff and patients at the Chemotherapy Day Unit at Glangwili Hospital, I would like to thank you for your fundraising efforts, which resulted in a very generous donation of £12,600. “We are always looking at ways to improve the environment and the way we care for patients within the unit. Please be assured that this money will go towards those improvements. Thank you.” Claire Rumble, Fundraising Officer, described the total as “incredible”. She said: “Thank you
so much to Huw Evans Auctioneers and everyone who supported the fundraiser for your generosity.
“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can
provide across the three counties of Hywel Dda, and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”
Unit 18b, Withybush Ind Est, Withybush, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 4BS
FARMING 89
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Welsh farms running dry as livestock water crisis emerges
CLA Cymru calls for urgent government response as springs and tanked supplies fail during prolonged hot weather
FARMS across Wales are running dangerously short of water, with some private supplies already exhausted, a leading rural organisation has warned. CLA Cymru has written to Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llŷr Gruffydd MS, calling for an urgent and coordinated response to what it describes as an emerging emergency. The organisation said weeks of prolonged hot weather had left farms dependent on springs, boreholes and tanked supplies struggling to provide enough drinking water for livestock. Victoria Bond, director of CLA Cymru, said the problem had been raised repeatedly by farmers during the agricultural show season. She told the minister: “The availability of water on farms across Wales is now a real issue for many
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farms, and an emergency is developing that requires urgent attention.” One CLA Cymru officer’s family farm, which depends on spring water, was said to have lost its supply entirely. While homes and farmhouses connected to the mains are generally less affected, many farms cannot use mains water to meet the much greater demands of cattle, sheep and other livestock kept in fields. Farmers relying on tanked water are reporting that reserves are either critically low or have already run dry. CLA Cymru said the immediate difficulty was not necessarily the amount of water held in reservoirs, but how farmers without a reliable private supply could practically access and
transport it. The organisation also warned that the worsening shortage could lead to unauthorised abstraction from rivers and streams as farmers become increasingly desperate to protect their animals. Ms Bond said: “There are both human and livestock issues at play. No one wants to see dead or seriously unwell animals across the fields of Wales. “While the human impact must take primacy, the impact on animals must also be a major priority.” She has asked the Welsh Government to publish clear guidance identifying who farmers should contact if their water supplies fail, as well as how emergency water can be obtained and transported. “Every hour now counts,” she said. “A coordinated response must be put in place without delay.” The warning comes after Natural Resources Wales declared drought conditions across the whole of Wales following exceptionally low rainfall and sustained high temperatures. Wales received just eight per cent of its long-term average rainfall during
July, putting increasing pressure on rivers, groundwater, agriculture and the natural environment. Several major rivers, including the Cleddau, Cothi, Teifi, Wye and Usk, have recorded exceptionally low flows, while NRW has received reports of drying riverbeds, poor grass and crop growth and growing concerns over water supplies for livestock. The Welsh Government announced support measures for farmers on August 10, including capital grants towards boreholes, water-harvesting equipment and ventilation systems. Temporary derogations are also available where dry conditions prevent farmers from meeting certain scheme requirements. However, CLA Cymru is seeking a more immediate emergency response for farms where existing supplies have already failed. The organisation said it was ready to work with ministers to distribute guidance and information to farmers across Wales. Image caption: Parched farmland near Rhayader on August 13. Picture: CLA Cymru
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GB Potatoes launches second year of Potato Industry Development Programme
Following the success of the 2026 inaugural Potato Industry Development Programme, GB Potatoes, in association with the British Potato Trade Association (BPTA) has opened applications for 2027. Aimed at new entrants to the potato industry, the programme offers participants a comprehensive understanding of the sector, the latest industry insights and the chance to build lasting networks across the
industry. Taking place across three sessions, the successful candidates will have the opportunity to engage with some of the leading packers, processors, researchers and scientists within the sector, as well as those who are helping shape future innovations. Three phases, three regions England, 15-18 February 2027
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- starting in Scarborough, participants will be visiting leading brands in the industry including McCains, Branston, and Tayto, as well as potato processing machinery specialists Haith Manufacturing, to build a sound understanding of potato processing and production. Scotland, 15-17 June 2027 – commencing at the James Hutton Institute, the focus shifts to commercial seed potato breeding, potato growing, blight, and PCN, with visits to GenTech Propagation, McCains Seed, a seed grower, and SRUC. Parliamentary visit, November 2027 – held in London, this phase gives participants insight into agricultural policy decision-making, how it can be influenced through lobbying, and why it matters for the next generation to get involved. Louise Greenhill, Contracts Manager for Agrico, and a participant in the inaugural programme, said: “I’ve really enjoyed being part of the Potato Industry Development Programme, from visiting processing factories and farms in England to seeing the research, science and innovation taking place in Scotland. “It’s been fascinating to see how
all the different parts of the industry connect, and meeting other young people in the industry has been just as valuable. I’m looking forward to the remaining legs and hopefully playing a part in the future of the industry.” Alex Godfrey, Chair of GB Potatoes, said: “When we first developed this programme, back at the start of 2026, we wanted to support those who were at the start of their career and looking to grow their skills and knowledge. We were overwhelmed by the number of the responses, and the impact we are already seeing with the current cohort, has highlighted the need for a structured programme, that supports the development of our future leaders and encourages longlasting connections. “With the sector facing many challenges, not least the current drought, it is more important than ever that we continue to invest in skills and training, so we continue to drive resilience, innovation and effective communications with our consumers. “I would encourage anyone looking to grow their career to consider applying for the next programme and would like to express my thanks to the BPTA for partnering with GB Potatoes to deliver this incredible opportunity.” The programme includes accommodation, meals, and minibus travel as part of each study visit. Participants must make their own arrangements for travel to and from the start and end point of each visit. The cost is £1,200 for GB Potatoes members and £1,700 for nonmembers. Applications close 2nd October 2026. With limited places available and strong interest anticipated, we encourage all applicants to submit a well-considered application – apply via the GB Potatoes website here – https://www.gb-potatoes.co.uk/gbpotatoes-launches-second-year-ofpidp/
FARMING 91
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Vaccination and vigilance remain the best form of defence against Bluetongue urges NFU Cymru
As the number of Bluetongue cases continues to rise, NFU Cymru is urging farmers to remain vigilant and to speak to their vet about vaccination. The hot dry weather has created favourable conditions for the biting midges that spread the virus and there are now nearly 500 cases of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 (BTV-3) confirmed across the UK, with 13 confirmed cases in Wales. With the number of cases expected to continue to rise, NFU Cymru is urging farmers that vaccination remains the best form of defence against the growing threat of Bluetongue. With most cases exhibiting clinical signs, there is also a need for livestock keepers to remain vigilant to ensure any early signs of infection are reported and treatment started as soon as possible. NFU Cymru President Abi Reader said: “With the number of cases continuing to rise, Bluetongue poses a serious and growing threat to Welsh livestock and dairy farmers. It can have serious, sometimes fatal, consequences for cattle, sheep, goats and other
ruminants and we have seen the sobering reports from farmers across the UK who are already dealing with Bluetongue on their farm. There is no room for complacency, not only can the virus affect animal health, but it also impacts productivity, fertility and trade, creating significant stress and financial pressure for farm businesses. “As the disease continues to spread, it’s important to assess the risks and I’d urge every NFU Cymru member with livestock to speak to their vet. Vaccination is proving to be the best form of defence against Bluetongue, and we would encourage everyone to ensure they have considered, in consultation with their vet, if it is right for their farm business. We know that currently vaccine supplies are limited but with more stock on the horizon, we encourage farmers to ensure they are communicating their demand for vaccine with their private farm vets, so as we can pull through more doses to Wales. “With the majority of the cases reported displaying clinical signs, we know how worrying a time this is for farmers especially as it is on
top of dealing with the impacts of the unrelenting hot weather and drought. However, it is vital that we all remain vigilant by keeping a close eye on stock, reacting to any suspicious signs quickly and discussing the best course of action with your vet as a priority. “The virus remains a notifiable disease so suspicion should also be reported by you or your vet to APHA by phoning 0300 303 8268. As a result of Bluetongue being detected on a farm there are no restrictions imposed on the individual animal or the holding so there should be no barriers and it is vital cases continue to be reported so as we can monitor the spread of the virus. “With the Bluetongue situation developing daily, NFU Cymru continues to work together with industry and government to ensure the approach to dealing with this disease is coordinated and the views of members are heard.” For more information on Bluetongue, vaccinations and reporting the disease visit the following website - https://www. gov.uk/guidance/bluetonguelatest-situation
This week has finally brought some much-needed rain, following what has been an unprecedented summer for Welsh farmers. Farming businesses have been on the frontline of these increasingly visible climatic extremes, from parched fields and dwindling water supplies to the growing and deeply concerning threat of wildfires. As seen in R h a n d i r m w y n , Llangynidr, and so many other areas over recent weeks, the scale and extent of these fires has been alarming. The causes of these fires have varied from place to place. However, they have also highlighted the implications of declining livestock numbers for the management of Wales’ uplands. FUW analysis shows that the average number of livestock units per hectare of grazing land in Wales has declined significantly in recent decades, falling from a peak of 1.2 in 1998 to just 0.9 today. This decline has important implications for vegetation management. Reduced grazing pressure can allow vegetation and other combustible material to build up, potentially increasing the risk and severity of wildfires. This is not to suggest that declining livestock numbers are the sole cause of this year’s fires, but it is an important factor in understanding how our uplands are managed and how they respond to increasingly challenging weather conditions. Looking ahead, the
FUW believes an urgent inquiry into the future of upland farming and landscape management in Wales is needed. Such an inquiry could mirror the ongoing work of the UK Parliament’s EFRA Committee and examine the challenges facing upland farmers, the role of grazing in managing our landscapes, and how best to support sustainable land management in the face of a changing climate. While there is undoubtedly work to be done at pace, it is important to recognise the tremendous efforts of emergency services, rural communities and farmers who have come together over recent weeks to tackle these wildfires and protect people, livestock, homes and the countryside. We have seen the very best of communities coming together in the face of these incidents. Sadly, however, some recent events have also involved inconsiderate and frankly idiotic behaviour, with some individuals starting fires that have placed communities, emergency responders, livestock and lives at unnecessary risk. As we adapt to a changing climate, responsibility must remain at the heart of how we manage and protect our countryside and livelihoods. That means supporting those who actively manage our landscapes, recognising the vital role of grazing, and ensuring that everyone who enjoys Wales’ rural areas understands the responsibility they share in protecting them.
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Hyundai Motor UK announces New IONIQ 3 electric hatchback pricing
MOTORS
Hyundai Motor UK has announced UK pricing, specification and technical information for the New Hyundai IONIQ 3, a compact electric Aero Hatch, with prices starting from £22,245 OTR. Customers can reserve the New Hyundai IONIQ 3 now by completing the online vehicle configurator and submitting their details at https://www.hyundai. com/uk/en/models/ioniq3/ configurator.html. Customers who place a reservation now will benefit from a £1,500 Hyundai Reservation Saving on all 61kWh models, unless and until an Electric Car Grant (“ECG”) becomes applicable. Once the assessment process is complete, Hyundai anticipates that all 61kWh models will be eligible for the Band 2 ECG. The Hyundai Reservation Saving and the Electric Car Grant cannot be used together. Details of all available offers can also be found on Hyundai’s website. The New Hyundai IONIQ 3 has been developed for drivers seeking an affordable, efficient and practical compact electric car. Built on a 400-volt electrical architecture, IONIQ 3 combines everyday usability, fast DC charging, AC charging up to 11 kW and two battery options, with an expected driving range of up to 308 miles. IONIQ 3 introduces Hyundai’s “Art of Steel” design language to the compact EV segment. The Aero Hatch body shape combines aerodynamic efficiency with generous interior space, supported by a target drag coefficient of approximately 0.263 and signature pixel lighting that reinforces the Hyundai IONIQ electric vehicle identity. IONIQ 3 is the first European Hyundai model to feature Pleos Connect, Hyundai’s infotainment system based on Android Automotive OS. The system is available with a 12.9-inch or 14.6inch display and supports intuitive access to vehicle functions, navigation and connectivity. Other key technologies include Hyundai Digital Key 2, Plug & Charge, an integrated EV route planner, interior and exterior Vehicle-toLoad (V2L) functionality and Memory Reverse Assist, which can memorise the last 50 metres of driving inputs to assist with subsequent manoeuvres such as reversing out of tight parking spaces. IONIQ 3’s design ensures aerodynamic performance but customers wanting a sportier look can choose the N Line Evo. With bold N Line styling changes to the front and rear including a
higher & wider rear spoiler with lower diffuser, bespoke 19” black alloy wheels, black mirror caps and N Line badging, N Line Evo captures both sporting intent and true aero hatch efficiency. Although IONIQ 3 has a B-segment footprint, its interior has been designed to deliver space and storage typically associated with larger vehicles. Practical features include an open bridge floating centre console, adjustable cup holders for large drinks bottles, Megabox underfloor storage and total boot capacity of 441 litres. The IONIQ 3 Advance is available from £22,245 and includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED front headlamps and rear lamps, front and rear parking sensors, a 12.9-inch infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, dualzone automatic climate control, rear view monitor, smart key with push-button start, smart cruise control with stop-and-go and an electronic parking brake. Standard safety equipment includes High Beam Assist, Forward CollisionAvoidance Assist, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Follow Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic CollisionAvoidance Assist and BlindSpot Collision-Avoidance Assist. Advance is available with a 42kWh 147PS powertrain with an expected 213 miles of range, or a
61kWh 135PS powertrain with an expected 308 miles of range from £25,745 (£24,245 with either/ or Hyundai Reservation Saving/ anticipated ECG) The IONIQ 3 Premium, priced from £27,445 (£25,945 with either/or Hyundai Reservation Saving/ anticipated ECG) builds on Advance with 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, battery heating and pre-conditioning, a 9.9-inch digital information cluster, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, electrically folding door mirrors, wireless smartphone charger, seat back pockets, solar windscreen and passenger seat height adjustment. Premium options include the EV Pack with heat pump and Vehicle-to-Load functions. All Premium models use the 61kWh 135PS powertrain and offer an expected range of up to 303 miles. The IONIQ 3 Ultimate, priced from £29,945 (£28,445 with either/or Hyundai Reservation Saving/anticipated ECG), adds 18-inch alloy wheels, navigation for the 12.9-inch infotainment system, matrix LED headlamps with dynamic welcome function, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, rear seat armrest, front seat lumbar support, rear air vents, reclining rear seats, cabin ambient lighting and Highway Drive Assist with hands-on detection and navigation-based
smart cruise control. Optional extras include the EV Pack with V2L and Heat Pump, the Design Pack offering Vision and Two-tone roof, and the Comfort Pack with an array of features from premium relaxation seats, heated front & rear seats, ventilated front seats, Bose Premium Audio and Digital Key 2.0. All Ultimate models use the 61kWh 135PS powertrain and offer an expected range of up to 300 miles. The IONIQ 3 N Line Evo, priced from £31,945 (£30,445 with either/or Hyundai Reservation Saving/anticipated ECG) is the range-topping trim and adds N Line exterior design, 19-inch N Line alloy wheels, a 14.6inch infotainment display with navigation and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, suede and cloth N Line seats, N Line interior design with red accents, surround view monitor, blind spot view monitor, parking collision avoidance assist, 360-degree parking sensors, remote smart parking assist and Memory Reverse Assist. All N Line Evo models use the 61kWh 135PS powertrain and offer an expected range of up to 265 miles. The IONIQ 3 will be available in a wide range of exterior body colours, with Ultimate & N Line Evo also available with a two-tone roof as part of the optional Design Pack:
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MOTORS 93
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VAUXHALL CORSA - 2015
1.4i ecoFLEX Energy Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (a/c) (90 ps) ** PETROL....... 5 SPEED.......1 PREVIOUS OWNER.........LOW MILEAGE ONLY COVERED 70,530 MILES......... SERVICE HISTORY 6 STAMPS........£35 ROAD TAX......... LOW INSURANCE GROUP 6............67 MPG..
£5,495
BMW 1 SERIES - 2015
KIA SPORTAGE - 2014
TOYOTA IQ - 2010
FORD FIESTA - 2008
2.0 CRDi KX-2 SUV 5dr Diesel Auto AWD Euro 5 (134 bhp) ** DIESEL......... AUTOMATIC 6 SPEED........4 WHEEL DRIVE.........LOW MILEAGE ONLY COVERED 72,293 MILES.........SERVICE HISTORY 9 STAMPS. .
1.33 Dual VVT-i 3 Hatchback 3dr Petrol Manual Euro 4 (s/s) (98 ps) ** PETROL......6 SPEED....... 1 PREVIOUS OWNER...........LOW MILEAGE YES ONLY 43,016 MILES..........SERVICE HISTORY 11 STAMPS.........£35 ROAD TAX........ 67 MPG........
1.25 Zetec Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual (133 g/km, 81 bhp) ** PETROL.........5 SPEED........LOW MILEAGE ONLY COVERED 35,537 MILES...........SERVICE HISTORY......... 2 KEYS........£170 ROAD TAX.....
£7,295
CITROEN C3 PICASSO -2013
1.5 116d Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps) ** AUTOMATIC 8 SPEED.........DIESEL........LOW MILEAGE ONLY COVERED 79,471 MILES..........£20 ROAD TAX........ . 2 KEYS....... 78 MPG.......
1.6 VTi Exclusive MPV 5dr Petrol EGS6 Euro 5 (120 ps) ** AUTOMATIC 6 SPEED...............PETROL....... LOW MILEAGE YES ONLY COVERED 42,607 MILES........FULL SERVICE HISTORY 10 STAMPS.........1 PREVIOUS OWNER........2 KEYS........ 58
VOLKSWAGEN UP! - 2014
RENAULT CAPTUR - 2019
1.0 High up! Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 5 (75 ps) ** PETROL.......5 SPEED.......LOW MILEAGE ONLY COVERED 60,320 MILES.........SERVICE HISTORY 5 STAMPS........LOW INSURANCE GROUP 2..........£20 ROAD TAX..
0.9 TCe ENERGY Iconic SUV 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (90 ps) ** PETROL.......5 SPEED........ 1 PREVIOUS OWNER........98,541 MILES......... SERVICE HISTORY....
£7,495
£5,995
FORD FOCUS - 2015
1.0 ZETEC 5d 124 BHP ** PETROL......6 SPEED......ONLY COVERED 69,115 MILES FROM NEW.......£20 ROAD TAX.........60 MPG.......ZETEC EDITION.......MEDIA SCREEN........ BLUETOOTH.......AIRCON........STOP START.........ALLOYS.......NICE EXAMPLE
£4,995
£4,995
£6,395
£4,695
£4,695
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VAUXHALL CORSA - 2015
1.2i Sting Hatchback 3dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (70 ps) ** PETROL.........5 SPEED...........LOW MILEAGE ONLY COVERED 70,388 MILES..........SERVICE HISTORY 10 STAMPS........ 2 KEYS.........LOW INSURANCE GROUP 2........ 62 MPG.........STING EDITION...
£4,795
l
TOYOTA YARIS - 2016
BMW X1 - 2015
FORD B-MAX 2014
1.33 Dual VVT-i Icon Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (99 ps) ** PETROL.......6 SPEED...... 1 PREVIOUS OWNER......YES ONLY COVERED 29,354 MILES........SERVICE HISTORY 4 TOYOTA MAIN DEALER STAMPS.
2.0 20d M Sport SUV 5dr Diesel Auto xDrive Euro 5 (s/s) (184 ps) ** AUTOMATIC 8 SPEED..........DIESEL........ 97,029 MILES.........SERVICE HISTORY 9 STAMPS......... 2 KEYS...
1.4 Zetec MPV 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 5 (90 ps) ** PETROL.......5 SPEED.........1 PREVIOUS OWNER.........92,834 MILES...........SERVICE HISTORY 8 STAMPS........£195 ROAD TAX......
HONDA HR-V - 2017
MINI CONVERTIBLE - 2016
BMW Z4 - 2011
1.5 Cooper Convertible 2dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps) ** PETROL........CONVERTIBLE......6 SPEED.......£35 ROAD TAX........57 MPG.........2 KEYS.........COOPER EDITION........HALF LEATHER SPORTS SEATS.......MEDIA SCREEN.
2.5 23i M Sport Highline Edition Convertible 2dr Petrol Manual sDrive Euro 5 (204 ps) ** PETROL.......CONVERTIBLE......6 SPEED........MILEAGE 115,991 .........SERVICE HISTORY 8 STAMPS...
£8,995
1.6 i-DTEC EX SUV 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (120 ps) ** DIESEL......6 SPEED.... 1 OWNER FROM NEW.......111,320 MILEAGE..... FULL HONDA MAIN DEALER SERVICE HISTORY 11 STAMPS.......2 KEYS.......£200 ROAD TAX.......... 72 MPG.
£7,995
£6,495
£5,995
£4,495
£7,495
DACIA SANDERO 2017
AUDI A1- 2012
DACIA SANDERO STEPWAY 2015
VOLVO XC60 - 2015
1.0 SCe Ambiance Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (75 ps) ** PETROL........5 SPEED......... 1 OWNER FROM NEW........FULL SERVICE HISTORY......... LOW INSURANCE GROUP 4..........67 MPG.........AMBIANCE EDITION....
1.4 TFSI Sport Hatchback 3dr Petrol Manual Euro 5 (s/s) (122 ps) ** PETROL.......6 SPEED.........1 PREVIOUS OWNER.......SERVICE HISTORY..........2 KEYS....... £170 ROAD TAX...........64 MPG........SPORT EDITION.
0.9 TCe Ambiance Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (90 ps) ** PETROL.......5 SPEED......... 1 OWNER FROM NEW.........LOW MILEAGE YES ONLY COVERED 63,951 MILES........... SERVICE HISTORY 6 STAMPS...
2.4 D4 SE Lux Nav SUV 5dr Diesel Auto AWD Euro 6 (s/s) (190 ps) **DIESEL.........6 SPEED AUTOMATIC......... SERVICE HISTORY 6 STAMPS......... CAMBELT AND WATER PUMP DONE AT 113,000 MILES.......2 KEYS........£215 ROAD TAX..
£3,995
.
£4,995
£4,695
£6,995
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MOTORS
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MOTORS 97
Segment-defying AION UT on sale from September Order books for the second model from AION – the UT – will open in September, before first customer deliveries of the stylish new hatchback kick off in October. The electric AION UT will reset what UK motorists can expect from a B-segment supermini in terms of classleading space, quality, refinement and premium-level features. Its 60kWh battery provides 268 miles of range, the longest standard range in its class, and is capable of charging from 30-80% in just 24 minutes. A powerful 204PS motor delivers punchy acceleration, sprinting from 0-62 mph in just 7.3 seconds, making it one of the nippiest superminis on the market. The UT is available in five colours, with its playful, distinctive face brought to life by owl-inspired headlights and a 2x2 ‘ice cube’ indicator and DRL cluster. Its interior is characterised by high-quality materials and a raft of standard features usually reserved for higher segments, including heated front seats, 14.6” central touch screen and 360° surround-view camera. The single trim level can be enhanced with an optional Premium Pack that adds further high-class features, including panoramic glass roof, powered tailgate, ventilated driver’s seat and wireless phone charging. “The AION UT is a small car that acts big on longer journeys. It’s the perfect nippy weekday runaround, with the space and range to comfortably take the family on weekend road trips,” said Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of AION Auto UK. “With its styling led by GAC’s Milan design studio specifically for the European market, the UT’s playful character and exceptional specification – combined with our AION Great 8 Promise – is really going to appeal to anyone looking for more from a compact car,” he added.
Not only was it designed ina Europe, but the UT has been engineered for UK
roads, going beyond the work already undertaken on the AION V earlier this year. As well as modifications to the springs, dampers, bump-stops and calibration, the UT also gets a revised anti-roll bar. The UT comes with the industryleading AION Great 8 Promise as standard, providing an eight-year warranty, eight years’ servicing, eight years’ roadside assistance and MOT until the car is eight years old. This VIN-locked offering stays linked to the vehicle, even when ownership transfers to another driver, ensuring that current and future AION owners benefit from the best aftersales package in the UK.
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BUSINESS
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HMRC urged to justify proposed criminal offence for reckless tax statements HMRC must explain why it needs a new criminal offence for making reckless or untrue statements in direct tax matters, according to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The global accountancy body was responding to an HMRC consultation on proposals to introduce a specific criminal offence aimed at taxpayers who make reckless false declarations. ACCA said it recognised the government’s aim of protecting the integrity of the tax system and tackling fraudulent behaviour. However, it questioned whether further legislation is necessary when HMRC already has civil penalties for inaccuracies and failures to notify, alongside criminal offences covering fraud and dishonest conduct. The body said HMRC should demonstrate why those existing measures are not sufficient to address the relatively small minority of taxpayers whose conduct the proposed offence is intended to target.
ACCA said carefully targeted sanctions for serious misconduct could, in principle, improve consistency, proportionality and deterrence across the tax system. But it warned that any new criminal power must be tightly drafted because of the complexity of UK tax law and the reliance placed on voluntary compliance. It said criminal liability should be reserved for people who consciously disregard an obvious and unjustifiable risk that a statement is false, or who act dishonestly.
The organisation stressed that taxpayers and professional advisers should not face prosecution simply because they have adopted a reasonable interpretation of unclear legislation or made a genuine mistake after taking reasonable care. Glenn Collins, ACCA’s head of technical and strategic engagement, said: “A reassessment of all existing powers is overdue. Piecemeal additions and changes without an evaluation of the current powers have resulted in issues
for HMRC, taxpayers and agents.” Lloyd Powell, head of ACCA Cymru/Wales, said any new powers would need to be accompanied by clear and comprehensive guidance, particularly on the extent to which advisers would be expected to verify information provided by clients. He said: “If HMRC were to be given such powers, HMRC would have to provide comprehensive guidance including covering the extent to which advisors would need to verify client information in order to not be considered reckless.” ACCA said the tax system should continue to support the overwhelming majority of people who seek to comply voluntarily, while taking direct action against those who deliberately abuse it. The body cautioned against creating a regime shaped primarily by the conduct of the most serious offenders, arguing that enforcement should focus on those who intentionally exploit or undermine the tax system.
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BUSINESS
Welsh organisations offered grants of up to £250,000 for new technology BUSINESSES and organisations across Wales are being invited to apply for grants of between £50,000 and £250,000 to invest in new equipment, automation and technology. Applications have opened for the latest round of the Welsh Government’s SMART Flexible Innovation Support (SFIS) Capital Equipment Fund, with funding available to businesses, universities, research organisations, further education colleges, third-sector bodies and NHS health boards operating in Wales. The scheme is intended to help organisations improve productivity and efficiency, strengthen their competitiveness and support longer-term economic growth. Projects encouraging the reuse of materials, improved resource efficiency and the development of a more circular economy are also being encouraged. Since 2023, the wider SMART Flexible Innovation Support programme has backed 171 organisations across Wales, with more than £20.1 million awarded in grants. Funding has supported the development of new products
and services, improvements to manufacturing and working practices, and collaboration between businesses, universities and public-sector organisations. Applicants to the latest capital fund will need to demonstrate how investment in new equipment or technology will increase productivity and provide wider benefits to Wales. Eligible expenditure can include the purchase and installation of machinery and equipment intended to improve an organisation’s performance and help it remain competitive. The latest funding round was highlighted during a visit to REECO Automation Ltd, which received a £100,000 SMART
Innovation Support research and development grant in 2025. The company has used the support to develop advanced robotics and automation technology, including robotic palletising systems and humanoid robotics for industrial applications. The Cabinet Secretary for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy said: “Wales has no shortage of great ideas, talent and ambition, and we are proud to support organisations to innovate, grow and succeed. “Innovation is vital to driving productivity and helping us to achieve our wider ambition of closing the productivity gap with the rest of the UK. “By supporting investment in
modern equipment, automation and advanced technologies, this fund will help organisations increase productivity, strengthen competitiveness and create longterm economic value for Wales. “I encourage eligible organisations to explore the fund and consider applying for this valuable support.” Rosie Davies, managing director of REECO, said the company had benefited significantly from its previous SMART grant. he said: “The funding has supported the development of several new products and manufacturing innovations, including our agnostic robotic palletiser and humanoid robotics solutions for industrial applications. “The grant has given REECO an added incentive to accelerate innovation, develop new products and enter new markets. “We would recommend that organisations explore this capital equipment funding opportunity to help unlock their innovation plans and drive business growth.” Applications close at 11.59pm on Friday, September 25, with funding decisions expected from the week beginning October 26.
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Tenby Golf Club partly retrospective works approved
National Park planners approve changes including 46-space overflow parking area and extended clubhouse terrace PARTLY retrospective plans for works at Tenby’s golf club have been approved by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. In an application through agent Acanthus Holden Architects, Austin Davies of Tenby Golf Club sought permission to change the layout of part of the existing car park at Tenby Golf Club, Battery Road, to provide an overflow parking of 46 spaces, and to extend the terrace area to the south of the golf club building. A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The layout of parking in front of the Golf Club is being downsized from [a previously approved 2020 scheme] to be closer to existing footprint of the carpark, to prevent addition of retaining walls. “Approved spaces along the entrance laneway are also being omitted, as they will require the widening of the lane and thus the removal of existing trees. It is proposed to use the adjacent practice area field for overflow parking.” It said the scheme would result in a reduction of 18 spaces, but the overspill area holds up to 46 spaces, being used for special events.
It adds: “Further to this, it is also proposed to extend the terrace to the rear of the golf club to take up most of the raised area here. It is currently not to scale with the rest of the golf club and needs modernising to keep up with the proposals approved [in the previous scheme] which are currently under construction.” It added: “Tenby Golf Club is currently undergoing a large extension to add accommodation on first floor and refurbishment of the downstairs club and bar facilities. The current proposals are intended to bring the
parking and terrace more in line with that.” Tenby Civic Society welcomed the revised terrace and amended car parking layout, but raised concern about the omission of tree screening to the rear of the clubhouse. One member of the public raised concerns, including access to the overflow area, “existing anti-social and unauthorised night-time activity within the area,” and concerns about the suitability of the overflow area for both vehicle safety and potential ground damage.
An officer report recommending approval said: “The application is retrospective and seeks to regularise the reconfiguration of part of the existing formal car park, the use of an existing grassed area as an overflow parking area accommodating up to 46 vehicles, and the retention of the extended external terrace to the south of the clubhouse.” It said the revisions to the 2020 scheme “reduces the extent of engineered works previously approved, avoids the need for substantial retaining structures and enables the retention of existing mature roadside trees”. It added: “The terrace has already been constructed and forms part of the retrospective element of the application. Amended plans have been received removing the reference to a glass balustrade. The balustrade is not currently present and is not proposed as part of the development. “The amended plans therefore reflect the development that has been undertaken and which the applicant seeks to regularise.” The application was conditionally approved by Park planners.
Appeal against Whitehill shepherd hut ongoing a year after refusal AN APPEAL is ongoing against a national park refusal of a shepherd hut holiday let in a Pembrokeshire village, nearly a year after planners refused it. In an application refused by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park last August, Alex Mazaheri of Melrose, Whitehill, near Cresselly sought retrospective permission for a shepherd hut holiday let, and car parking space in the property grounds. An officer report said a number of concerns had been raised by members of the public including the work already having been carried out, and the hut’s close proximity to the highway at one of the narrowest points of the road. The application was refused, back on August 19, 2025, on the grounds including it represented “unjustified new development in the countryside,” it would “appear visually intrusive and discordant within the street scene and surrounding rural landscape,” and “insufficient information was provided to demonstrate that the proposal would achieve nutrient neutrality within the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) catchment”. An appeal lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), says the applicant “contends that the refusal was disproportionate and failed to properly reflect the
modest scale of the proposal”. It adds: “Neighbours and passers‑by have commented positively on the hut, noting its modest and sympathetic appearance. “Following refusal, local press coverage generated a number of public comments, the majority of which were supportive of the proposal. “While these are not formal consultation responses, they indicate that the local community did not view the shepherd’s hut as harmful.” It went on to say Mr Mazaheri
had “not sought to evade planning control but has instead acted in good faith, investing in landscaping and improvements for the immediate area while applying for planning in an open and transparent manner”. In the appeal documentation local community council Carew has raised concerns about access to the site, along with other concerns raised by local objectors. One, local county councillor Vanessa Thomas said works had stopped after an initial enforcement
visit only to start again when the access was created and the ‘hut’ brought on site. “This was all carried out without planning permission, and the unit and entrance was all complete before the application was submitted. The application is therefore retrospective. The concerns I raised to the original planning application remain the same.” Cllr Thomas added: “The position of the Shepherd’s Hut is extremely close to the highway, and in one of the narrowest parts of the road. The positioning of the hut, along with the proposed access to the site, I feel are extremely dangerous, and should therefore not be allowed to remain where it is.” She went on to say: “Whilst this is a 20mph road, it is a busy road. Many farmers use this road, and the size of the tractors travelling so close the Shepherd’s hut, which is positioned just inside the hedge, is dangerous. “The parking area, and the suggestion of turning into this space, on a 90-degree angle, is also a cause of concern, and to be reversing out into the road, as I think was suggested, can only lead to accidents.” The window for final comments from all interested parties has now closed, a decision expected at a later date.
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HEALTH
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Hywel Dda begins switch from paper drug charts as first ward goes digital
Staff at Prince Philip Hospital marking the launch of electronic prescribing on Ward 9.
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HEALTH
Ward 9, the stroke rehabilitation ward at Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, became the first within Hywel Dda to use the new electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration system, known as ePMA, when it went live on July 15. The technology, supplied by Better, allows prescriptions and records showing when medicines have been administered to be managed electronically rather than through paper drug charts. It is intended to give doctors, nurses and pharmacy teams more accurate and up-to-date information about a patient’s
medication while reducing administrative work and the potential for errors. Digital Health and Care Wales said Hywel Dda has now joined the other six health boards in Wales in beginning the transition to electronic prescribing. One practical change already reported on Ward 9 is that nursing staff can request medication supplies electronically instead of completing paper request slips. The health board says the technology should also reduce the amount of staff time spent prescribing, checking, supplying and administering
medicines, allowing more time to be devoted to patients. Dr Anthony Smith, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Hywel Dda, said patient safety had been the priority during the introduction of the system and described the first ward deployment as a foundation for a wider rollout. Staff must complete training before being given access to ePMA, with further wards due to adopt the technology as the programme expands. Huw Thomas, Hywel Dda’s Director of Finance, said the project represented an important investment in improving patient care and efficiency, with
better visibility of medicines information expected to improve communication between healthcare professionals. For supplier Better, the Hywel Dda launch represents its fourth health board deployment in Wales, following implementations involving Betsi Cadwaladr, Powys and Aneurin Bevan health boards. The development forms part of the national ePMA programme being led by Digital Health and Care Wales as NHS organisations across Wales replace handwritten and paperbased prescribing systems with digital alternatives. The rollout within Hywel Dda is expected to continue across the health board during the year. Hywel Dda’s hospital network also includes Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest. The move represents a significant change from a decade ago. A Wales Audit Office review in 2015 found that electronic prescribing was not then being used on any acute hospital ward within Hywel Dda, although auditors said at the time that the technology could bring significant benefits for patient safety and efficiency.
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Formal review launched into advocacy support for older people in Wales THE OLDER PEOPLE’S Commissioner for Wales has launched a formal review into the effectiveness and accessibility of independent advocacy services across the country. The review will examine whether current arrangements ensure that older people can make their voices heard, particularly in cases involving safeguarding concerns where individuals may be especially vulnerable. Evidence and data are being sought from local authorities, health boards, the Welsh Government and Regional Safeguarding Boards, all of which play a role in planning and delivering independent advocacy services. Because the review is being conducted using the Commissioner’s statutory powers, the organisations involved have a legal duty to provide the requested information. Responses must be submitted by October 16. The investigation will consider how advocacy services are commissioned, delivered and monitored, as well as the consistency of provision across Wales. It will also examine practitioner awareness, staff training and governance arrangements. The Commissioner said existing
research suggested advocacy was often given limited priority by practitioners. Her Advice and Assistance service has also handled a number of cases in which access to an independent advocate could have improved the outcome for an older person. Hundreds of pieces of evidence are expected to be examined before a report is published in the New Year. The report will be accompanied by a series of required actions identifying the improvements needed and setting
deadlines for their delivery. Public bodies covered by the review will be required to respond. Older People’s Commissioner for Wales Rhian Bowen-Davies said: “Independent advocacy plays a crucial role in ensuring that older people’s voices are heard in situations where they may be unable to speak up for themselves, particularly when an individual is vulnerable or where there are safeguarding concerns. “But research, and evidence captured through my work, suggests
that many older people do not have access to the advocacy they need, even in situations where this could have delivered better outcomes for them. “That is why I am reviewing the key areas that affect the availability and accessibility of advocacy support, to understand how effective current arrangements are in supporting older people across Wales.” The review is the second time in 18 months that the Commissioner has used her legal powers to pursue changes on behalf of older people. In 2025, she issued formal guidance to health boards and local authorities covering engagement and consultation. Ms Bowen-Davies added: “Given the importance of independent advocacy, I am undertaking this review using my statutory powers. This means public bodies have a duty to provide the evidence I require and respond to any recommendations made alongside the publication of my findings. “This will help ensure that meaningful action is taken locally and nationally to deliver the changes and improvements needed so that older people can make themselves heard.”
Hywel Dda confirms review of Band 6 health visitor roles
HYWEL DDA UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD has confirmed that it is preparing to review its Band 6 health visitor role with local trade unions. The announcement brings the debate over health visitor grading directly into focus across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, although there is currently no confirmed industrial action within Hywel Dda. Health visitors at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board have been striking since February, arguing that their qualifications, duties and responsibilities should place them at Band 7 rather than Band 6. Responding to questions from The Herald, Lisa Gostling, Director of Workforce, Organisational Development and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at
Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “The role of health visitor is essential to our work with young children in our communities in the Hywel Dda area. “They offer advice on promoting health, preventing illness, and provide guidance on child development and family wellbeing, giving children from 0-5 years of age the best start in life. “We are about to start working with local trade union colleagues on reviewing the current Band 6 health visitor role. “We note the position in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board but it would not be appropriate for us to comment further.” Figures previously released by Hywel Dda under the Freedom of Information Act showed that, in November 2025, the health board employed 50.3 whole-timeequivalent Band 6 health visitors within its general service. A further 34.4 whole-time-equivalent Band 6 health visitors worked through the Flying Start programme, taking the combined figure to almost 85. The board also employed nine wholetime-equivalent Band 7 team leaders who were qualified health visitors but did not hold caseloads. The Herald asked Hywel Dda whether it had received any grievance, collective claim or union representation seeking to have local health visitor posts upgraded
to Band 7. The board was also asked whether it had received any indication of potential industrial action, when the existing job description was last evaluated and whether it had been reviewed following changes to professional training requirements. Further questions sought current staffing numbers by county, vacancy rates, average caseloads and whether any Healthy Child Wales appointments were being delayed because of staffing pressures. Those questions were not answered. The dispute at Cwm Taf Morgannwg involves around 100 health visitors represented by Unite. The union claims workers are losing between £8,000 and £9,000 annually because they remain at Band 6. Unite has said its campaign will extend beyond Cwm Taf and has encouraged health visitors working for every Welsh health board to examine whether their pay grade reflects their present duties. Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board disputes the union’s position. It maintains that Band 6 is the correctly evaluated grade and says there is currently no nationally agreed Band 7 job description for health visitors. The board has pointed to an expert partnership group established to consider
the implications of revised Nursing and Midwifery Council training standards across Wales. The continuing dispute has reportedly caused substantial disruption. Unite said information obtained under freedom of information laws showed that nearly 24,000 appointments were due across March, April and May, but only slightly more than 900 were completed. Cwm Taf says urgent and complex cases continue to receive support through a dedicated access service. Welsh Conservative Senedd member Andrew RT Davies recently met striking health visitors and accused the Welsh Government of failing to intervene. Mr Davies said: “Health visitors play a vital role in our communities – failure to resolve this dispute is putting children at risk. “Senedd ministers must get around the table with health board bosses and health visitrs and sort this dispute out.” The confirmation that Hywel Dda is beginning its own review is the first indication that the controversy could have direct implications for health visitors working across West Wales. However, the health board has not said when the review will begin, how long it will take or whether upgrading the posts to Band 7 will be considered.
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POLITICS
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What have the Welsh political parties been up to during the summer recess?
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POLITICS
THE SENEDD’S summer recess is well underway, meaning there are no regular plenary sessions, First Minister’s Questions or committee meetings taking place. The 2026 summer recess began on July 20 and runs until September 13, giving Senedd Members (MSs) a break from the formal parliamentary calendar. But while the chamber is quiet, the political parties have continued campaigning, making policy announcements and attending events across Wales. With the recess now almost halfway through, here is what the main parties have been up to so far. As Wales’ governing party, Plaid Cymru has continued to make announcements on Welsh Government policy throughout the recess. Among the announcements so far have been £3.1 million to strengthen Welsh-speaking communities and plans to provide water safety and swimming lessons for primary school children. The party has also announced that all 22 local
Ella Groves
ICNN Senedd reporter
authorities in Wales are “on track to offer 12.5 hours a week of Welsh Government-funded childcare for all two-year-olds by the end of this financial year”. Community engagement has also featured heavily in Plaid Cymru’s summer activities, with members attending both the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod. First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and rural resilience and sustainability minister Llyr Gruffydd attended the Royal Welsh Show at the end of July. The pair confirmed Welsh Government would invest more than £1 billion over the next three years to give Welsh farmers “certainty” and “stability”. The party also had a presence at the National Eisteddfod, the festival where Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925. Plaid held a series of events during the festival, including
a reception for its county and community councillors, a lecture on Welsh political writer Mallt Williams, and a questionand-answer session with newly elected Plaid MSs. The First Minister and Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams also opened the Gaza Genocide Tapestry at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru stand. The tapestry features hand-embroidered images made by Palestinian women living in refugee camps and communities in the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan. Speaking at the stand, both Mr ap Iorwerth and Ms Williams described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. For Reform UK, political activity outside Wales has featured prominently during the recess, with the party supporting Nigel Farage’s campaign in the Clacton byelection. A number of Reform’s Senedd members travelled to Essex to campaign for Mr Farage. They included the party’s shadow minister for government efficiency, Cai Parry-Jones, who was joined
by Gareth Beer, Laura Anne Jones, Carmelo Colasanto and Stephen Senior. In a video shared on Reform UK Wales’ social media accounts, Ms Jones described the contest as “the people versus the establishment”. The party has also been active in Wales during the recess. Reform had a stall at the Royal Welsh Show, where Laura Anne Jones, the party’s shadow minister for food, farming and rural affairs, met Reform MP Robert Jenrick. Ms Jones said on social media that they had attended the sheep-shearing competition and spoken to farmers, exhibitors, and visitors. A number of Reform MSs also attended the National Eisteddfod, including the party’s deputy leader Helen Jenner, although Reform did not have an official stall on the Maes. Welsh Labour has placed a strong emphasis on community engagement during the recess, with the party attending both the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod. Following its appearance at the Royal Welsh, Welsh Labour launched a survey asking people what they believe needs to change in their local areas. Ken Skates, who became party leader on a permanent basis last month having served as interim leader since May’s Senedd election, has also been touring Wales with the aim of speaking to people about the issues affecting their communities. The tour began in Caerphilly, where Mr Skates met Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion. He also met Labour Party members to discuss policy and how the party can rebuild. The party has used the recess to focus on listening to communities and gathering views as the party seeks to rebuild having lost power in Cardiff Bay for the first-ever time. The Welsh Conservatives have used the summer recess
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to combine campaigning in Wales with visits from senior figures in the UK Conservative Party. On July 24, Welsh Conservatives welcomed UK party leader Kemi Badenoch and shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies to Newport. The pair were joined by Natasha Asghar, MS for Casnewydd Islwyn, with the group touring the Newport Galvanizers facility in Llanwern before attending a roundtable with business leaders. The party has also been active at agricultural events, including the Royal Welsh Show. In a video shared on the Welsh Conservatives’ Instagram ahead of the show, Andrew RT Davies, the party’s spokesperson for farming and the environment, called for a £100 million increase in the agricultural budget. Mr Davies said the party wanted to see an additional £25 million a year invested in agriculture, resulting in a £100 million increase by the end of the Senedd term. The Royal Welsh also
gave the Conservatives an opportunity to speak directly with people working in the farming sector about the pressures facing Welsh agriculture. Despite having just one representative in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have also been active during the recess. Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds attended the Brecon Show, where she supported her party’s ‘Save Powys Hospitals’ campaign. In a post on Instagram, she said the event had given her an opportunity to meet farming representatives and discuss the challenges facing Welsh farmers and rural communities. Ms Dodds also attended the National Eisteddfod last week, although the Liberal Democrats did not have an official stall on the Maes. With the party’s representation in the Senedd limited to a single MS, the recess has nevertheless provided an opportunity for Ms Dodds to continue campaigning on issues affecting rural Wales and her constituency.
Ken Skates met with displaced Ukrainians at Caerphilly Library
For the Welsh Greens, climate change and the impact of extreme weather have been central themes during the recess. Following wildfires across Wales and the wider UK, party leader Anthony Slaughter thanked fire and rescue services for their work and called for “urgent action”. He argued the wildfires had highlighted both the growing impact of climate change and what he described as chronic underfunding of Welsh emergency infrastructure. He said he and fellow Green MS Paul Rock were calling for better funding for emergency services alongside preventative climate action aimed at reducing the impact of increasingly frequent wildfires. The Welsh Green Party has also maintained a presence at major summer events, attending both the National Eisteddfod and the Royal Welsh Show. Mr Rock, the Green MS for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf, said the Eisteddfod visit was his first, but “certainly not [his] last”.
blue view
Cllr Claire George Is the National Health Service still a source of national pride? The idea that health care should be free at the point of access has endured the last 78 years since the inception of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. However, that principle has been eroded over the recent past due to the challenge of accessing health care both through the GP in primary care or urgent care through A&E. The challenges we now face are not overnight revelations; we know the demographic curve and how we are living longer but in poorer health. We know the chronic and long term conditions that are escalating and the projections for future demand on services. We know the condition of our buildings in which we are delivering services. In Wales, the delivery of the National Health Services has been devolved since the establishment of the Welsh Parliament. People in Wales wait longer for ambulances, longer for tests, longer for treatment and longer in emergency departments than elsewhere in the UK. This is not just about more funding. This is about understanding how
people move through the services and how we make that experience more efficient and effective to deliver more timely diagnosis and interventions. This is about helping people take control for their health and wellbeing by giving them the information and tools to manage their conditions and ensure they can live the life they want. This means the use of technology and records that sit across the system and even giving people a copy of their records so they can understand what is going on for them and share that with other professionals that care for them. This is about public health and promoting health and wellbeing for all, both physical and mental wellbeing. The Welsh Conservatives will continue to advocate and fight for a better National Health Service in Wales, but until we see the Welsh Government invest in serious and determined action to renew our health services, I urge everyone to advocate for your own and your loved ones health needs at every point in the journey through health services like your life depends on it… because it does.
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POLITICS
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positively liberal With ANDREW LYE
PM Andy Burnham didn’t mince his words when he said the UK was a tinderbox and we all received the emergency alert, last Friday, on our smart phones and other devices. Our thanks go to our firefighters who have been working around the clock in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions, and the additional support from the military is extremely welcome. With Natural Resources Wales declaring a drought across the whole of Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have called out Dwr Cymru over figures recently analysed by the party which show they lost 85,000 million litres of water due to leaks in 2024/2025. That’s the equivalent of 94 Olympicsized swimming pools every day! As the country continues to face prolonged drought, hosepipe bans in some areas and others being considered across more areas, David Chadwick MP has called on Dwr Cymru to “urgently get its house in order” by fixing the leaky infrastructure. With Natural Resources Wales declaring a drought across all of Wales and some areas under a hosepipe ban or the threat of one, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have also called out Hafren Dyfrdwy, the other water company in Wales that serves the North East. Figures recently analysed by the party which show they lost 5,400 million litres of water due to leaks in 2024/2025. That’s the equivalent of 6 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day. As the climate continues to change, and heatwaves become commonplace, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have
demanded the UK Government include measures to reduce leaks into the Water (Special Measures) Bill. With 85,000 million litres of water lost due to leaks by Dwr Cymru last year, tackling leaks would go a long way in improving the resilience of the water sector, and helping to mitigate future shortages. Dwr Cymru’s leaks for 2024-2025 are equivalent to 160 litres of water per customer, per day. David Chadwick MP and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have consistently called for better regulation of Wales’ water industry, and this revelation from data analysed by the House of Commons Library and the Liberal Democrats has only reinforced their calls. C o m m e n t i n g , Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: “Dwr Cymru have got away with their gross mishandling of our water infrastructure for far too long; now these figures prove it. Dwr Cymru needs to urgently get its house in order. “Whilst people across Wales have had to face hosepipe bans or the threat of one, Dwr Cymru are taking them for a ride. Dwr Cymru must stop rewarding their unaccountable bosses with exorbitant bonuses and start investing in fixing their infrastructure so we can avoid this happening time after time. “The Government must immediately replace Ofwat with a powerful new regulator in Wales, to hold Dwr Cymru to account for its persistent failures. It has been clear for years the current system is not working for our environment or customers.”
If you have any issues or comments, please contact me at andrew.lye@pembslibdems.wales
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Trade union figure Elin Hywel enters race to chair Plaid Cymru
A prominent figure in Plaid Cymru’s trade union wing has announced her bid to become the party’s next national chair. Elin Hywel, a Unison member and Gwynedd councillor, said she wants to strengthen internal democracy and ensure disagreements within the party are discussed openly rather than brushed aside. The contest comes at a significant moment for Plaid Cymru, which is adapting to the demands of government following May’s Senedd election. Under the party’s constitution, the national chair oversees internal party structures, represents the membership and chairs the National Executive Committee. Former chair Marc Jones and deputy chair Beca Brown stepped down after being elected to the Senedd in May. Carole Willis is currently serving as interim chair. Nominations close on August 21, with the successful candidate due to be announced at Plaid Cymru’s annual conference in Llandudno in October. Ms Hywel, the daughter
of former Arfon MP Hywel Williams, is a qualified accountant and has spent more than 20 years working with businesses, charities, social enterprises and community organisations across Gwynedd. Announcing her candidacy, she said Plaid’s move into government marked the beginning of a new chapter for the party. She said: “There is an opportunity to develop the conversation, not only about what we would like to see from Plaid Cymru, but also the kind of party we would like to build as we open a new chapter in our nation’s history. “If we want to build a Wales that shares power, nurtures talent and puts people at the heart of public life, we must ensure our party reflects those values throughout.” Although Ms Hywel identifies with the party’s left, she said she would not seek to represent any particular faction if elected. “My responsibility as chair would be to enable conversations to happen in a useful way,” she said. “It’s not about letting go of what I believe in. But within the responsibilities of a chairperson,
it would be my responsibility to allow everyone to be heard, regardless of whether I agreed with them or not.” Recent disagreements within Plaid have included criticism over Enterprise Minister Adam Price’s attendance at the Farnborough Air Show, where Israeli defence companies were among exhibitors. Ms Hywel said such disputes should not simply be “smoothed over”. “There definitely will be disagreements from time to time,” she said. “What we want to do is create a space where we can have the conversation. It’s only by enabling that space that you can move forward.” She added that the party’s chair needed to be willing to confront difficult issues. “The chair needs to be a bit braver and not be scared of conflict,” she said. The contest will help determine how Plaid manages the relationship between its grassroots membership and its new responsibilities in government as the party enters one of the most significant periods in its recent history.
POLITICS 105
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Reform’s welfare gamble could hit Welsh voters behind its political breakthrough
The party won 34 Senedd seats in May—but its plan to replace PIP could change or remove disability payments for almost three million people, many in the communities where Reform performs most strongly
REFORM UK has unveiled plans for one of the most radical overhauls of Britain’s welfare system in decades—but the policy could directly affect many of the voters the party needs if it is to win power. The package, announced by Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick on Monday (Aug 17), is intended to reduce annual welfare spending by around £50 billion. Its central proposal is the abolition of Personal Independence Payment in its present form for working-age adults, alongside the health-related element of Universal Credit. Both would be replaced by a new, regularly reviewed “Health Security Allowance”, with continuing cash payments restricted to people Reform describes as “gravely ill and severely challenged”. People with conditions judged to be less severe could instead receive council-controlled disability accounts to pay for verified costs such as mobility equipment, home adaptations, transport and personal assistance. Reform says existing claimants would be reassessed over three to four years. The party estimates that 2.16 million people would retain their current cash entitlement in full, while 2.89 million would have their support altered or withdrawn. Mr Jenrick acknowledged that the changes would be difficult, saying: “We will not pretend this is painless.” The political consequences could be particularly significant in Wales, where Reform achieved a major breakthrough at May’s Senedd election. The party secured 29.3% of the vote and returned 34 Members of the Senedd, becoming the second-largest group behind Plaid Cymru. However, Wales also has particularly high levels of disability and long-term ill health—the very issues which have helped drive rising expenditure on PIP and other health-related benefits. Official figures show that four million people were entitled to PIP across England and Wales at the end of April 2026. Of those, 3.3 million were of working age and 680,000 were above State Pension age. PIP is not an unemployment benefit. It is intended to help meet the additional costs caused by disability or long-term ill health and can be claimed by people who remain in employment. That distinction may prove politically important if Reform attempts to present the changes principally as a programme for getting people back into work. Nearly 9,000 claimants in Pembrokeshire seat
The potential sensitivity can be seen in Mid and South Pembrokeshire. Figures drawn from Department for Work and Pensions data show that 8,746 people in the constituency were receiving PIP in January 2026. That total includes some pension-age recipients, while Reform’s proposed replacement is aimed specifically at working-age adults. At the 2024 general election, Reform received 7,828 votes in the constituency. Labour’s Henry Tufnell won the seat with a majority of just 1,878. This does not mean that every PIP claimant supported Reform—or that every Reform voter receives disability benefits. It does, however, demonstrate the scale of the potential electoral risk in a constituency where Reform hopes to make further gains. Earlier analysis found that around 13% of the working-age population in Mid and South Pembrokeshire was receiving either PIP or the Universal Credit health element. A similar pattern can be found across many of Reform’s strongest and most promising areas. Research published in 2025 found that almost six in ten Labour constituencies considered vulnerable to Reform were in the top third of areas in England and Wales for the proportion of residents receiving health-related benefits. Separate academic research examining the 2024 election found an association between Reform support and poor population health. The constituencies won by Reform recorded the highest average prevalence of 15 out of 20 health conditions studied. Across England, higher Reform vote shares were also associated with increased levels of
obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and depression— even after researchers accounted for differences in age, sex and deprivation. Reform may be calculating that its voters distinguish between people they consider genuinely unable to work and those they believe are taking advantage of the system. Research from the National Centre for Social Research found that 78% of Reform supporters believed unemployment benefits were too high and discouraged people from finding employment. But attitudes towards disability benefits appear considerably more complicated. Polling by More in Common during the previous Labour welfare controversy found that 47% of people who voted Reform in 2024 considered Labour’s proposed PIP changes unfair. Some 58% of Reform voters also believed Labour’s concessions would not do enough to protect disabled people, while three-quarters said they did not trust the Government to make fair decisions about disability benefits. Reform’s challenge will therefore be convincing voters that the proposed Health Security Allowance would continue to protect people with genuine needs. The scale of the savings claimed by the party suggests that eligibility would have to be substantially narrower than it is under PIP. The package extends well beyond disability payments. Reform says long-term claimants judged capable of working would be required to undertake 20 hours of community work each week. Placements could include cleaning high streets and parks, carrying out
minor repairs, staffing libraries or helping charities and community organisations. Those refusing to participate could have their benefits withdrawn. Mr Jenrick said: “If people who are capable of work refuse, then they’ll get nothing. That’s fair.” Councils would be expected to organise the placements and could face funding reductions if they refused to take part. Employers with more than five workers would also be required to purchase “Return to Work Cover”, making them responsible for supporting employees during the first two years of long-term sickness. Reform says reductions in employer National Insurance would compensate businesses for the additional cost, although this claim has not yet been independently assessed. The party is also proposing to reinstate the two-child benefit limit, reform disability payments for children, tighten claims involving conditions including anxiety, depression and ADHD, and prevent almost all foreign nationals from receiving welfare payments. The proposed ban would include EU citizens with settled status and would probably require renegotiation of parts of the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union. Reform claims £22 billion of its projected savings would come from changes to disability benefits, with a further £21 billion resulting from the restrictions placed on foreign nationals. Labour has described the £50 billion figure as “fantasy economics”, arguing that Reform would strip support from disabled people while transferring significant costs to employers and councils. The headline savings have not been verified by the Office for Budget Responsibility or another independent fiscal organisation. For Reform, the political equation is difficult. If the changes are softened sufficiently to protect most existing recipients, the promised £50 billion saving may prove impossible to deliver. If the party implements the reductions on the scale proposed, substantial numbers of people in its strongest communities could lose cash support. Reform has successfully harnessed frustration with high taxation, government spending and perceived welfare abuse. Its new policy will test whether that support survives when an argument about welfare in the abstract becomes a reassessment letter landing on a voter’s doormat.
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LETTERS & NOTICES
send your letters to: The editor, 11 hamilton terrace, milford haven, Pembrokeshire, sa73 3al email us at: editor@herald.email
Picture of the week! Pic of Week: Puffins at Skomer Island by Christopher Davies Pamphlets do not protect the public DEAR SIR,
I am writing regarding the Home Office’s newly published booklet, Understanding Behaviours and Expectations in the UK: A Guide for Asylum Seekers. The document tells asylum seekers that women have equal rights, that domestic abuse is a crime, that sex requires consent, that the legal age of consent is 16, and that sexually harassing, following or intimidating people in public is unacceptable. These principles are not optional cultural preferences. They are fundamental laws and values of the United Kingdom. The fact that the Government considers it necessary to explain that women may work, study, travel and make decisions without a man’s permission — and that rape, child sexual abuse and domestic violence are crimes — should prompt serious questions. Why has the Home Office judged it necessary to issue this new and unusually explicit guidance now? What evidence or concerns led officials to produce it? How will they ensure it is understood, and what meaningful action will follow when these laws are broken? A nine-page booklet cannot become a substitute for proper safeguarding, integration, enforcement and accountability. If the Government considers this information necessary, the guidance should form part of a
mandatory induction delivered in a language each individual understands. Recipients should be required to confirm that they understand the law, the rights of women and children, the meaning of consent and the consequences of criminal behaviour. There must also be properly funded safeguarding around asylum accommodation, effective channels through which residents and members of the public can report concerns, and transparent publication of relevant data. When credible allegations are made, they must be investigated promptly and impartially. Where crimes are proven, the law must be enforced firmly, with immigration and asylum consequences applied wherever legislation permits and with appropriate due process. At the same time, it is important not to treat every asylum seeker as a potential offender. Many people seeking protection respect British law and may themselves be survivors of violence, persecution, forced marriage or sexual abuse. They should not be collectively blamed for the actions of individuals. But compassion towards those genuinely fleeing danger must never require silence about public safety. Women and girls should not be expected to modify their behaviour, avoid certain areas or tolerate intimidation because politicians are afraid of discussing difficult issues. Equality before the law means protecting every woman, regardless of her background, and applying the same
standards to every person living in this country. Britain should remain a place of refuge for people genuinely escaping persecution. However, refuge comes with responsibilities. Those responsibilities include respecting women, protecting children, accepting the principle of consent and obeying the laws of the country providing sanctuary. The message must be unmistakable: anyone seeking protection or being accommodated in Britain is expected to respect our laws and the rights and dignity of others. Ignorance of the law or cultural difference should never be used to excuse serious criminal conduct. The Home Office booklet may be a starting point, but pamphlets do not protect the public. Effective policy, proper enforcement and political courage do. Ryan Mendelson
Litter bugs DEAR SIR, Pembrokeshire is one of the most beautiful counties in Wales, so why do we seem so willing to spoil it with rubbish? Driving around recently, I have been struck by the amount of litter along some of our roadsides. Drinks cans, takeaway cartons, plastic bottles and other rubbish can
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be seen thrown into verges and hedgerows. It is particularly disappointing at this time of year, when thousands of visitors are travelling around the county and seeing Pembrokeshire at what should be its best. The council can send out teams to pick litter up, but they cannot be everywhere, and ultimately someone has made the decision to throw that rubbish from a car window or leave it behind. Perhaps we need more visible enforcement, bigger fines and more bins at popular stopping points. But we also need people to take some personal responsibility. If you can carry a coffee cup or food wrapper into your car, surely you can keep it there until you reach a bin. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country. We should take a bit more pride in keeping it that way. John Lee
County Show pride
DEAR SIR, I would like to say a big well done to everyone involved in this year’s Pembrokeshire County Show. It may be smaller than it once was, and these days takes place over two days rather than three, but the spirit of the show is still very much alive. There was a wonderful atmosphere, with farmers, local businesses, families and community organisations all coming together. For me, that is what the County Show has always been about. Times change and events like this have to change with them, but it would be a great shame if we ever lost something that has been such an important part of Pembrokeshire life for generations. After some difficult years, it was genuinely encouraging to see the show busy and full of life again. It has been a proud week for Pembrokeshire and everyone who helped make the show happen deserves our thanks. Helen Smart
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Death Notices
Peter Gwynne Watkin Griffiths Originally from Tenby, Whitland and later Caldicot, aged 98 years, peacefully passed away on 24th July. Beloved son of the late Ethel and Archie Griffiths of Hallsville, Tenby. Dear brother of the late Mervyn and Ian, devoted husband of the late Glenys (nee Dunbar). A cherished father of Yvonne, Duncan and Andrew, a treasured father-in-law and much loved Grampy. The Funeral Service will take place at Langstone Vale Crematorium, (NP18 2BP) on Monday 24th August at 1.30pm to celebrate Peter’s life. Please wear ‘a splash of colour.’ Family flowers only by request. Enquiries to Joanne Hume & Son Funeral Directors. Tel: 01291 420972.
Gwilym John Morgan Gwilym passed away peacefully at The Meadows Care Home on the 3rd August 2026 aged 83 years. Dearly loved husband of the late Beryl, Father and Grandfather, he will truly be missed by all his family and many friends. His funeral service will take place on Thursday 20th August 11.00am at Roy Folland & Son Chapel of Rest, followed by interment at Nebo Chapel, Efailwen. Donations, if desired, for Wales Air Ambulance can be made at www. walesairambulance.com or forwarded to Tŷ Elusen, Ffordd Angel, Llanelli Gate, Dafen, Llanelli, SA14 8LQ. All enquiries to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors (01437) 763821.
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at walesairambulance.com/donate or via the donation box on the day. All enquiries to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors. (01437) 763821
Kenneth Lloyd Malcolm Davies Malcolm passed away suddenly at Home on Thursday 6th August aged 77 years. Beloved Husband to Diane, devoted Father to Julie and Richard, respected father-in-law to Chris, treasured Grandfather to Luke, Danielle and Ayla and GreatGrandfather to Rose. He will be greatly missed by his wider family and many friends. The Funeral Service will take place on Saturday 5th September 11:30am at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth, SA67 8UD. Family flowers only. Donations in Memory of Malcolm for the Wales Air Ambulance can be made direct online
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Welsh athletes play their part as Great Britain shine
Charlotte Henrich
Jeremiah Azu
Clara Evans-Graham
Jake Heyward
Freya Jones
Great Britain finished second in the medal table at the European Athletics Championships For the first time in the competition’s history, the European Athletics Championships came to the UK, with Europe’s best athletes descending on Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. The home nation enjoyed a hugely successful campaign, with Great Britain and Northern Ireland finishing second in the medal table, just one gold medal behind winners Italy. Among the GB squad were several of Wales’ leading athletes, who played their part in a haul of 19 medals, including nine golds. Here is a look back at the performances of the Welsh contingent.
the mixed 4x400m relay team alongside Ben Jeffries, Toby Harries and Yemi Mary John. She narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the women’s 400m final after clocking 50.51 seconds, but a late injury to team-mate Amber Anning during the warm-up opened the door for Henrich to progress. Given a place in the final at the last minute, the Welsh athlete ran 51.29 seconds to finish sixth. Her championships ended with a silver medal for the women’s 4x400m relay team of Mary John, Lina Nielsen, Nicole Yeargin and Emily Newnham, with Henrich having helped the team reach the final after competing in the qualifying round.
Hughes and Louie Hinchcliffe, the 25-year-old produced the fast start out of the blocks he has become renowned for, giving his team-mates a strong platform from which to chase victory. On the final evening, Azu helped GB claim another gold in the mixed 4x100m relay, an event making its championship debut. With Dina Asher-Smith and Amy Hunt completing the lineup, Azu and Hughes helped Great Britain secure another title.
athlete finished 34th individually in 2:40:01 after tackling a course she described as “really tough”. Her performance nevertheless contributed to GB’s success in the team event.
SPORT
Natasha Wilson
Charlotte Henrich
It has been a breakthrough season for Charlotte Henrich, who has taken almost a second off her personal best to set a new mark of 50.45 seconds. The 19-year-old’s European Championships experience proved particularly eventful. Henrich helped GB claim the first medal of the championships on the opening night as part of
Jeremiah Azu
Jeremiah Azu appeared to be collecting medals throughout the championships. His success began with silver in the men’s 100m, where Wales’ fastest man finished behind fellow Welshman Romell Glave as the pair took the top two places on the podium. Azu then went one better in the men’s 4x100m relay, helping Great Britain secure gold. Alongside Glave, Zharnel
Natasha Wilson
Out on the roads, Natasha Wilson was part of the Great Britain team that claimed gold in the women’s marathon. The Micky Morris Racing Team athlete finished fifth individually in 2:27:54, a performance that helped GB secure the team title. Louise Small, Rose Harvey and fellow Welsh athlete Clara Evans-Graham joined Wilson in the British team that took top spot in the team competition.
Clara Evans-Graham
Like Wilson, Clara EvansGraham played her part in Great Britain’s marathon team gold. The Pontypridd Roadents
Jake Heyward
Jake Heyward made an impressive return to championship competition after undergoing double Achilles surgery and spending two years out of the sport. The 2022 European silver medallist went into the men’s 1500m final in good form, having set a new Welsh mile record of 3:46.73 in July and finished fourth at the recent Commonwealth Games. Heyward looked on course for a medal after leading into the final straight, but the Welshman was narrowly denied a place on the podium. He finished fourth, missing out on bronze by less than two hundredths of a second.
Freya Jones
Freya Jones competed in the women’s javelin qualification but was unable to progress to the final. Her best throw of 53.93m left her 11th in qualifying Group A.
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FAW chief: FIFA president Gianni Infantino must go FOOTBALL Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney has said Fifa president Gianni Infantino should step down following the controversy over plans to sell stakes in some of football’s biggest competitions. Infantino has faced mounting criticism over proposals to sell a stake in the commercial and ticketing rights of the World Cup and other Fifa tournaments to private investors. Although the plan has since been scrapped, Mooney believes the damage caused means Infantino should now consider his position. Mooney, who previously worked alongside Infantino at Uefa, acknowledged his former colleague’s achievements but said the recent controversy had undermined trust in Fifa’s leadership. “If I was sitting with Gianni right now, I would say to him he’s had a very good career,” Mooney said. “As general secretary of Uefa he did very good things. At Fifa, there were things like, for example, the work Arsene Wenger has done with the technical development scheme, that have really moved forward. “But unfortunately, with this episode that took place, with the proposal to sell off the crown jewels, if you will, I definitely think he should look to step down.” Earlier this month, Wales became the first of the home nations to withdraw its backing for Infantino continuing as Fifa president. The Fifa chief has come under increasing pressure over proposals to establish a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the World Cups, with a 21% stake earmarked for
sale to a private investment firm. Wales was among the first football associations in the world to publicly oppose the plans, with a number of others subsequently following suit. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast, Mooney said the Football Association of Wales had made its position clear and hoped a change in leadership would follow. “There will be lots of discussions over the next few weeks,” he said. “I am hoping Gianni is reflecting right now on his position. I assume people are speaking to him right now about considering his position and stepping down. “I think it is clear there is pressure on Gianni to consider his position, so let’s see what the coming days bring.” Mooney said the controversy had also highlighted the need for a wider review of Fifa’s governance, processes and structures. He suggested that too much power was concentrated in the hands of one individual — the organisation’s president. “When you are looking at a Fifa president, you are looking at someone who is that moral guardian, the figurehead of world football, and you are looking for them to operate with transparency, for the good of the game, collaboration and so on,” Mooney added. “There are brilliant council members at Fifa who are elected to partake in decision-making. There are brilliant staff members at Fifa. I feel sorry for them at the moment. “But it’s clear that trust is broken with many football associations around the world and only a full review that can’t be led by the Fifa president will start the process of rebuilding trust.”
FAW: Noel Mooney
FIFA: Gianni Infantino
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Clinical Penybont condemn Bluebirds to third straight defeat FIRSt-HALF goals from Max Melbourne and Nathan Wood put the visitors firmly in control on Friday evening (Aug 14), before substitute Noah Daley completed the scoring in the final minute. Tony Pennock made three changes following the defeat to The New Saints, bringing Kyle Kenniford, Dan Hawkins and Ben Ah-Mun into the starting line-up. The opening stages offered little in the way of clear opportunities, although Greg Walters produced an important intervention after Ethan Cann had worked his way towards the Haverfordwest goal. Penybont took the lead after 31 minutes when captain Mael Davies delivered an inviting cross from the right. Melbourne rose above the County defence and powered his header beyond goalkeeper Ifan Knott. The Bluebirds should have drawn level five minutes before the interval. Jack Wilson raced down the right and produced an excellent low delivery across the penalty area, but Ah-Mun sent his effort wide from close range. It proved a costly miss, with Penybont doubling their advantage moments before half-time. Cann’s initial attempt was kept out by Knott, but Wood reacted quickest to convert the rebound into the unguarded net. The visitors threatened again shortly after the restart when Eduino Vaz broke into the penalty area, although his ball across goal avoided both attackers and defenders. County showed greater resilience
during the second half and prevented Penybont from creating the same number of openings, but they continued to struggle for cutting edge in the final third. There was controversy midway through the half when Kyle McCarthy challenged Cann as the Penybont striker headed towards goal. The visitors appealed for a dismissal, but a video review identified an earlier foul by Cann on Corey Shephard and instead awarded Haverfordwest a free-kick. Pennock introduced Will Hughes
and Hari Thomas as the Bluebirds searched for a route back into the contest, while Jack Walker made his Cymru Premier debut after replacing Walters. However, Penybont remained composed and added a third in the 90th minute after Haverfordwest had committed players forward. Tyler Walker released Daley behind the home defence and the substitute finished calmly to complete an emphatic away victory. The result leaves Haverfordwest without a point following three
consecutive league defeats, while unbeaten Penybont have collected seven points from their opening three matches. The Bluebirds return to action when they welcome newly promoted Cambrian United to the Dynamite Bridge Meadow on Friday (Aug 21) at 7.45pm. Haverfordwest County: Knott, Wilson, Phillips, McCarthy, Abbruzzese, Green, Walters, Shephard, Kenniford, Hawkins, AhMun. Attendance: 794.
World Cup boost for Wales hockey as firms back £40,000 appeal WALES’ senior men’s hockey team has received a fundraising boost days before beginning only its second World Cup campaign. FRF Motors and strategic communications firm Milton Advisers have joined the organisations supporting Hoci Cymru as the squad prepares to face India, Pakistan and England in the Netherlands. The partnerships form part of a £40,000 appeal helping to meet the costs of competing at the FIH Hockey World Cup, including travel, accommodation, training camps, performance support, nutrition, equipment and medical care. At the latest count, the Crowdfunder appeal had reached £37,691 from 435 supporters, leaving the team just £2,309 short of its target. The appeal closes at noon on Saturday (August
15). Ranmore Fund Management has supported the campaign through a match-funding initiative, contributing £9,543 so far. Wales qualified for the tournament after securing bronze at the World Cup qualifier in Chile earlier this year. It is the country’s second successive appearance on the world stage, following its tournament debut in India in 2023. Alex Walker MBE and Louis Rynsard, co-founders of Milton Advisers, said: “We are delighted to support Hoci Cymru as they prepare to represent Wales on the world stage. “Reaching the World Cup is a tremendous achievement and reflects the dedication, talent and commitment of everyone involved. “At Milton Advisers, we help
organisations perform at their best when it matters most. We recognise many of those same qualities in elite sport: preparation, teamwork and relentlessness. “We are proud to play a small part
in the team’s journey and wish every player, coach and member of the support team the very best of luck.” Gareth Francis, director of FRF Motors, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to support the Wales Senior Men’s Hockey Team following their tremendous achievement in qualifying for the World Cup. “Seeing Wales represented on the global stage is fantastic, and we are proud to play our part in supporting the squad. We’ll certainly be cheering them on when the World Cup gets under way.” Wales begin their Pool D campaign against India at noon on Saturday, before facing Pakistan on Monday and England on Wednesday. Every Wales match will be shown free through Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel, S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer.
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Bluebirds Women earn encouraging draw against Swansea City U19s Haverfordwest County continue positive pre-season preparations with a 2-2 draw at the Bridge Meadow
HAVERFORDWEST COUNTY AFC Women continued their preparations for the new season with an impressive 2-2 draw against Swansea City U19s at the Bridge Meadow Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Bluebirds produced a strong
all-round performance against quality opposition, with Bethan Chapman and Lily Owen finding the net for the home side. It was another encouraging outing for Haverfordwest, who matched their visitors throughout and came away with a deserved result as preparations
for the forthcoming campaign gather pace. The performance also provided another valuable opportunity for the coaching team to give minutes to a sizeable squad ahead of the competitive season. Haverfordwest County squad: Jess
R, Macy B, Bethan S, Lily L, Katie G, Mollie F, Chloe T, Erin F, Freya M, Lily O, Bethan C, Ella M, Jasmine T, Ffion K, Laura D, Ella P and Kayla J. The result represents another positive step for the Bluebirds as they continue building towards the new season.
Greenhill pupil represents Swansea City at tournament in China
Young footballer Jaylen Leahy is competing with the Swans’ under-12 side in the Dalian Friendship Cup A YSGOL GREENHILL pupil is enjoying an unforgettable footballing experience after travelling to China with Swansea City’s under-12 side. Jaylen Leahy is representing the Swans at the Dalian Friendship Cup, where the young players have been testing themselves against opposition on the international stage. Swansea made an impressive start to the competition and were sitting at the top of the table after their opening seven matches. A photograph shared by Ysgol Greenhill shows Jaylen proudly holding a Swansea City supporters’ flag alongside his teammates at the tournament venue. The school congratulated Jaylen on his achievement, describing the trip as a “special experience” and adding: “Da iawn, Jaylen.”
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Saundersfoot and Hook seal titles as five centuries light up Week 17 SAUNDERSFOOT and Hook made sure of their respective Division One and Division Two crowns on a remarkable afternoon of Pembrokeshire cricket which produced five individual centuries. Tom Mansbridge continued his outstanding season with 112 for Saundersfoot, while John Curran struck 103 for Llechryd, Adam Maehrlien made an unbeaten 104 for Llechryd II, Sam Laugharne carried his bat for 103 for Neyland II and Crymych’s Sion Vaughan hammered 124 not out. There were also several outstanding bowling performances, including Matthew Phillips’ 6-31 for Saundersfoot II and Rhys Davies’ remarkable 5-5 for Whitland III. With just one round remaining in the top divisions, Saundersfoot’s 30-point advantage means Carew can no longer catch them, while Hook’s 21-point lead over Johnston has also put the Division Two title beyond reach. Division One Mansbridge stars as Saundersfoot complete title job Saundersfoot confirmed an outstanding Division One campaign with another emphatic victory, beating Lawrenny by 112 runs. Tom Mansbridge was again at the heart of things, smashing 112 as the Seasiders posted 223-6. Nicky Cope added 43 and Sam Franklin made 34. Lawrenny were then bowled out for 111, Mansbridge completing a superb all-round display with 3-7. Jon Mansbridge took 3-17 and Ollie Cook claimed 3-16. It leaves Saundersfoot on 301 points from 17 matches, having won 14 and remarkably still without a league defeat. Carew remain second after beating Neyland by 75 runs. Morgan Grieve made 50 and Brian Hall 52 in Carew’s 210, before Noah Davies returned excellent figures of 3-9 as Neyland were dismissed for 135. Cresselly recorded a five-wicket victory over St Ishmaels after Tom Murphy claimed 5-41. Tish made 185, led by Thomas Williams with 51, before Griff Jenkins hit 50 and Kyle Quartermaine 52 in Cresselly’s successful chase. Herbrandston made short work of Whitland. Robert Hood took 4-30 and Harry Nicholas 3-12 as Whitland were dismissed for 118 before Charlie Malloy struck 53 in an eight-wicket win. Narberth produced the division’s highest total of the afternoon, piling up 313 against Burton. Jamie McCormack led the way with 96, while Rhodri Dyer made 42, Llew Jones 39, Lewis Hough 38 and Jordan Howell 35. Toby Hayman replied with 76 for Burton, but their 238-9 left Narberth winners by 75 runs. Division Two
Ishmaels II’s 191-6. Maehrlien finished unbeaten on 104, with Steve Smith 42 not out, as Llechryd reached 192-3. Narberth II kept themselves firmly in the promotion picture with victory over leaders Lawrenny II. Jordan Williams took 4-33 and Elliott Evans 3-9 as Lawrenny were bowled out for 145. Aaron Keane then made an unbeaten 41, Andrew Williams 40 and Matthew Gow 30 as Narberth reached 146-5. Hook II thrashed Haverfordwest III by nine wickets after bowling the hosts out for 93, while Carew III dismissed Herbrandston II for just 84 before completing a six-wicket win. Division Five
Hook take crown as Curran hits century for Llechryd Hook secured the Division Two title with their 15th victory of the season, comfortably seeing off Cresselly II by eight wickets. Oscar Willington took 3-19 and Callum James 3-22 as Cresselly were bowled out for 110. Liam Miller then struck 64 as Hook raced to 114-2 and moved on to 293 points. Johnston remain second after compiling 260-7 against Llanrhian. Lee Summons made 51, Jack Mills 38, Chris Fitzpatrick 34 and Lewis Boswell 31 before Llanrhian were held to 151-7 despite Paul Lewis making 61. The standout innings came at Llechryd, where John Curran struck 103 and Jac Davies added 68 in a total of 247-8. Fishguard replied with 184-9, Sam Kurtz scoring 73 and Nigel Delaney 40. Curran completed his fine afternoon with 2-22. Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest produced the afternoon’s closest contest. Jonny White struck 83 as Haverfordwest posted 154-8, but Dock edged home at 156-9. Euan McDonald took 3-13 before finishing unbeaten on 15, while Nick Daley took 3-21 and contributed 27. Pembroke also enjoyed a convincing victory, dismissing Llangwm for 138 before Will Davies’ unbeaten 53 helped them to 139-3. Division Three Laugharne hold advantage as Lamphey keep up pressure The Division Three title race remains alive after both of the leading sides won. Laugharne remain top following a dominant nine-wicket victory over Stackpole.
Paul Oeppen made 78 in Stackpole’s 164-6, but Alan Carter and Matt Tait took the game away from them with an unbeaten second-wicket partnership. Carter finished on 59 not out and Tait 66 not out as Laugharne cruised to 167-1. Lamphey remain 15 points behind after a much tighter two-wicket victory over Hundleton. Elliott Midgeley made 58 and Iori Humphries 55 in Hundleton’s 196. David Dredge then made 44 after taking 3-21, with Grant Cole adding 40, Peter McGilloway 37 and David Blackwell 32 as Lamphey reached 197-8. Carew II edged Haverfordwest II by one wicket, chasing down 157-8 to reach 158-9. Kilgetty defeated Pembroke II by 60 runs after Richard Webb made an unbeaten 77 and Ben Evans struck 61 in their 219-6. At Burton, Matthew Phillips produced one of the bowling performances of the day, taking 6-31 as Burton II were dismissed for 116. Saundersfoot II reached 119-6 to complete a four-wicket victory. Division Four Vaughan and Maehrlien both reach three figures Two unbeaten centuries highlighted an entertaining Division Four programme. Crymych’s Sion Vaughan struck 124 not out as his side made 242-3 against Neyland II, with Ben Palmer adding 69. Neyland came remarkably close to chasing it down thanks to an unbeaten century of their own from Sam Laugharne. Laugharne finished on 103 not out and Martyn Lewis made 36, but Neyland ended on 227-9, leaving Crymych winners by 15 runs. Adam Maehrlien also passed three figures as Llechryd II chased down St
Cresselly III continue impressive campaign Cresselly III extended their advantage at the top with a four-wicket victory against Llanrhian II. Llanrhian made 161-9 before Cresselly reached 165-6, Arthur Jenkins leading the chase with an unbeaten 54. Damien Arthur added 27, while Lucian Thornton and Caitlin Lewis each picked up two wickets. Pembroke Dock II enjoyed an eightwicket victory over Llechryd III. Andrew Davies carried his bat for 56 not out in Llechryd’s 122-5, but Scott Griffiths responded with an unbeaten 47 and Jonny Hay made 33 not out as Dock reached 126-2. Division Six Whitland close to within two points of Lamphey The tightest battle anywhere in the league is developing at the top of Division Six. Leaders Lamphey II were beaten by Neyland III, allowing Whitland III to move to within two points. Neyland posted 163, Josh Owens making 56, before dismissing Lamphey for 142. Owens completed an outstanding all-round performance with 4-22, while Tom Colley made 69 for Lamphey after earlier taking 3-30. Whitland III responded with an emphatic ten-wicket victory over Haverfordwest/Cresselly. Rhys Davies produced remarkable figures of 5-5 as the combined side were dismissed for 80. Owain Ennis then made an unbeaten 32 and Anthony Jones 37 not out as Whitland raced to 84 without losing a wicket. Haverfordwest IV also claimed maximum points, dismissing Laugharne II for 63 before winning by six wickets. Rhys Adamson took 4-28 and Jack Wornham 2-8.
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Thomas Carroll Pembrokeshire League Table Fixtures 15th August
DIVISION 1
Division 1 Carew Cresselly Narberth Saundersfoot Whitland
v Neyland v St Ishmaels v Burton v Lawrenny v Herbrandston
Hook Llangwm Llanrhian Llechryd PDock
v v v v v
Division 2
Division 3
Cresselly II Pembroke Johnston Fishguard Haverfordwest
DIVISION 2
Burton II v Saundersfoot II Haverfordwest II v Carew II Hundleton v Lamphey Pembroke II v Kilgetty Stackpole v Laugharne
Division 4
Haverfordwest III v Hook II Herbrandston II v Carew III Lawrenny II v Narberth II Neyland II v Crymych St Ishmaels II v Llechryd II
Division 5 Cresselly III Llechryd III Pembroke III
v Llanrhian II v Pembroke Dock II v Llangwm II
Kilgetty II Laugharne II Whitland III
v v v
Division 6
DIVISION 3
DIVISION 5
Neyland III Haverfordwest IV H’west-Cresselly
DIVISION 4
DIVISION 6
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Welsh athletes play their part as Great Britain shine • p114