The Pembrokeshire Herald 27/03/2026

Drug dealing pub boss who boasted of ‘best coke around’ jailed

Dealer who claimed £160,000 profits was later calling police for protection as threats escalated over money he owed to his suppliers

A MILFORD HAVEN drug dealer who bragged he had “the best coke out there” and claimed to have made up to £160,000 in just four months has been jailed for six years.

But behind the image of a confident, high-earning operator, the reality was starkly different — a man in debt, under threat, and repeatedly calling police for protection as his world closed in.

The 35-year-old defendant admitted multiple offences relating to the supply of cocaine and cannabis when he appeared before Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard he played a significant role in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs, purchasing large quantities — including claims he was buying cocaine by the kilogram — and maintaining contact with upstream suppliers.

In messages shown to the court, he boasted about his profits, claiming to have made £38,000 and suggesting that far larger sums were within reach. He also claimed to have earned £160,000 in just four months and said he had bought two houses.

He told customers he had “the best coke out there” and responded aggressively to complaints, stating: “Out of £30,000 worth, you’re the only one to complain,” before adding: “Bad mouthing me is a bad idea you little slag.”

VIOLENcE AND INtIMIDAtION

The court was also shown chilling footage of a confrontation at a property on the Mount Estate, where the defendant was heard directing violence over a debt.

In the video, he shouted: “I got boys, yeah, I got boys,” before telling others to “kick his head in” as the attack unfolded inside the victim’s home.

Witnesses described him as having become a “kingpin” in Milford Haven’s drug scene, operating from The Vibe public house, which they claimed was

paper. It’s over money… hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Police arrested the defendant on January 5 last year on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. A search of an address on Priory Road uncovered 18 grams of cannabis, while a separate incident involving a vehicle led to the discovery of 73 grams of cocaine and cannabis.

Prosecutors said he was actively involved in the supply of drugs and purchasing large quantities, describing him as a key player in the local trade. He has 57 previous convictions, mostly for theft-related offences.

‘ONLy A custODIAL sENtENcE’

Defending, Mr Ibrihim described his client’s background as a “tale of woe,” telling the court his father was addicted to heroin and his mother struggled with alcohol. His younger sister died in 2022.

used as both a legitimate business front and a base linked to drug dealing.

FEAR bEHIND tHE FAçADE

Yet the court heard that behind the bravado, the defendant was living in fear.

He had accumulated drug debts estimated at between £18,000 and £26,000 and was being threatened by those higher up the supply chain. His partner reported people turning up at their home, with threats including claims it would be bombed or burned down.

The Herald attended his home address on multiple occasions to report on police activity after he called officers for protection.

In a direct call to this newspaper during the period, he said: “There are threats to my life — people want me dead, dead. I don’t want this in the

DOcuMENts REVEAL FuRtHER pREssuRE

The Herald can also reveal that the defendant was served with a statutory demand in late 2025 over an alleged unpaid debt relating to stock, fixtures and fittings following his takeover of The Vibe public house in March 2024. Documents seen by this newspaper indicate the financial pressures he was under extended beyond drug debts.

NAtIONAL AttENtION

The case has already drawn national interest, with Channel 4 making a documentary featuring the defendant after interviewing local people in Milford Haven over recent months.

‘sIgNIFIcANt

ROLE’ IN DRug tRADE

The court heard he had gone “off the rails” in his late teens and that his drug dealing was linked to debts, including those connected to his father. It was also said that many of his claims about wealth were exaggerated and amounted to “bravado”.

Sentencing, the judge said: “The seriousness of this offending means that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.

“You played a significant role in drug dealing. What is clear is that you were dealing with a lot of cocaine.

“I have no doubt that some of what you did was due to pressure, but some of it was for your own gain.”

The judge added that despite the defendant’s claims of wealth, “you haven’t got hardly anything left”.

For the supply of cocaine, he was sentenced to six years in prison, with a concurrent sentence of 30 months for supplying cannabis.

He will serve at least half the sentence in custody before being eligible for release.

A victim surcharge of £228 was also imposed.

Police stop car in Pennar as three arrested in drugs investigation

DRAMAtIc scenes were reported in pennar on Monday afternoon (Mar 23) after multiple police vehicles were deployed to stop a car.

The incident happened at around 5:00pm near Pennar Court, Pembroke Dock, where officers located a stationary vehicle following reports of a suspected drug driver in the area.

Police attended and pre-emptively

stopped the vehicle, also blocking a second car nearby.

Officers carried out searches of both vehicles and discovered suspected controlled substances.

A 32-year-old woman and a 47-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possessing class A and class B drugs with intent to supply.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and possession of class A and class B

drugs with intent to supply.

The 32-year-old woman has been released under investigation, while the 31-year-old man and 47-yearold woman have been released on unconditional bail.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed the incident followed reports of a man believed to be driving under the influence in the area earlier that afternoon.

Hero female officer keeps job after sexual touching finding

A DyFED-pOWys pOLIcE officer praised for saving a toddler’s life has kept her job despite being found to have deliberately touched a man’s groin during a night out.

PC Zoe Williams was handed a final written warning after a misconduct panel ruled her actions amounted to gross misconduct following an incident at the RAFA Club in St Davids over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2024.

The off-duty officer had been drinking with friends before entering the club, where CCTV captured her making two deliberate movements towards a man’s groin and making contact at around 1:20am.

Williams denied the allegation, claiming any contact was accidental and to the man’s midriff. The panel rejected her account, finding the touching was intentional and sexual in nature, likely intended to show interest in the man.

It concluded she had breached standards of authority, respect and courtesy, as well as discreditable conduct. There was no evidence the man had consented to the contact, and the panel noted that a number of people present knew she was a police officer at the time.

Her culpability was assessed as medium to high, with the panel warning her behaviour had the potential to undermine public confidence in policing. Aggravating factors included sexual motivation,

Sinclair editor@herald.email

excessive alcohol consumption and breaches of multiple professional standards.

Despite the gross misconduct finding, the panel decided dismissal would be disproportionate.

In reaching that decision, it placed significant weight on Williams’ otherwise strong record — in particular an incident earlier that year when she helped save the life of a two-year-old child.

While off duty and walking her dog on a beach at Solva, she carried out prolonged CPR after the child collapsed and stopped breathing. The child survived, and Williams later received commendations from the Chief Constable and the High Sheriff.

The panel also considered a series of positive testimonials describing her as a capable and compassionate officer, and concluded the incident was out of character.

It ruled that a final written warning would be sufficient to mark the seriousness of the misconduct while allowing her to continue serving the public.

The decision is likely to prompt debate about consistency in police discipline, particularly in cases involving sexualised behaviour, and whether an officer found to have committed gross misconduct should remain in post.

Sex offender jailed for sending messages to ‘14-year-old’ girls

A MAN has been jailed after sending sexual messages on snapchat to three girls he believed were aged 14.

Ciaran Carmody, aged 21, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court via video link from HM Wrexham prison, where he admitted three offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child under 16.

The court heard the messages were sent on three separate occasions to accounts posing as 14-year-old girls, which were in fact part of an undercover police operation.

Prosecutor Nia James said each of the girls made their age clear, but the messages sent by Carmody were sexual in nature.

The offences took place between April 25 and May 5, 2025.

Wind hub row: Where are Milford Haven’s jobs?

Port Talbot secures £64m backing as questions grow over Pembrokeshire’s share of offshore wind boom

MILFORD HAVEN’s role in Wales’ clean energy future is under intense scrutiny after a major government-backed wind project placed Port Talbot firmly at the centre of the celtic sea boom.

The UK Government has confirmed up to £64 million in funding to transform Port Talbot into the

UK’s first dedicated floating offshore wind hub—unlocking up to 4.5GW of capacity and thousands of jobs.

But as the scale of the investment becomes clear, a critical question is now being asked across

Pembrokeshire: what does Milford Haven actually get?

FREEpORt pARtNERsHIp — but uNEquAL DEtAIL

The UK Government has made clear the scale of its backing for Port Talbot, describing it as central

to its “clean power mission.” The £64 million grant will fund design and engineering work to develop a specialist floating wind port, expected to unlock at least 4.5GW of projects in the Celtic Sea—enough to power around 6.5 million homes. Officials say the scheme could support up to 5,000 jobs and attract more than £500 million in private investment.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “With its deep waters and strong winds, we are supporting Wales to storm ahead in floating offshore wind – a pioneering industry that will support thousands of good jobs, drive growth across the country and unlock the next generation of clean, homegrown power.”

Both Port Talbot and Milford Haven form part of the Celtic Freeport, a flagship project intended to drive growth across South West Wales.

Yet while Port Talbot has secured clear backing as the main construction and assembly hub, there has been no detailed explanation of Milford Haven’s role.

tHAt LAck OF cLARIty Is RAIsINg cONcERN LOcALLy.

Milford Haven is one of the UK’s most strategically important energy ports, handling a significant share of the nation’s gas imports and boasting deep-water access ideal for largescale offshore operations.

For many, it appeared an obvious candidate to play a central role in floating wind.

WHY THIS MATTERS

• Floating wind in the Celtic Sea could power millions of homes

• More than £500 million in private investment expected

• Up to 5,000 jobs linked to port and supply chain activity

• Wales could attract tens of billions in long-term renewable investment

• Early decisions will determine where those jobs are based

‘VALuE WILL gO ELsEWHERE’

The announcement has also triggered political criticism over how much economic benefit Wales will actually retain.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that key components for the turbines are likely to be manufactured abroad, with only assembly taking place in Port Talbot.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick said: “Any job creation is a positive step for Port Talbot, but Labour need to be honest about what this actually contains.

“These turbines are set to be built using imported steel and only assembled locally, not manufactured. This means much of the real economic value will still go elsewhere.”

MAjOR pROjEcts ALREADy LINkED tO MILFORD HAVEN

Despite the uncertainty, significant clean energy investment is already being directed into Milford Haven itself.

A £50 million green hydrogen project within the Freeport tax site is set to begin construction this year, producing low-carbon hydrogen using renewable electricity—much of it expected to come from offshore wind.

UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said the investment was “crucial in de-carbonising industry, driving investment, boosting our energy security and creating hundreds of jobs in our industrial heartlands.”

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens added: “This is a huge milestone… which will create jobs and help grow the Welsh economy.”

Meanwhile, a major 1.5GW floating wind project in the Celtic Sea has already secured an Agreement for Lease, with Welsh Government backing.

Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans said: “These projects will create thousands of skilled jobs and help secure our energy independence for generations to come.”

LAbOuR pROMIsEs jObs — but FEW spEcIFIcs

On Friday (Mar 27), Eluned Morgan is set to visit the Port of Milford Haven, where she will pledge to bring more jobs to West Wales through clean energy investment. She is expected to say the region has “a wealth of opportunity” in the sector and promise that rural communities will benefit from the transition.

However, no specific commitments have yet been made about what proportion of offshore wind activity will be based in Pembrokeshire.

WHAt cOuLD MILFORD HAVEN sEcuRE?

Industry expectations suggest Milford Haven could play a key role in:

• Servicing and maintenance

vessels

• Crew transfer operations

• Storage and logistics for turbine components

• Long-term operations bases for offshore wind farms

The Herald understands that discussions around Milford Haven’s role in operations and maintenance have been ongoing for several years, but no formal allocation of work has yet been confirmed.

In contrast, Port Talbot has already secured early-stage government backing and a clearly defined role in construction and assembly.

cONsERVAtIVEs: ‘DIFFERENt ROLEs, NOt cOMpEtItION’

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MS Sam Kurtz said the development should be seen as a shared opportunity rather than a competition between ports.

He said the scale of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea meant “no single port can do everything,” with Port Talbot focusing on assembly while Pembrokeshire plays to its strengths in operations and maintenance.

He added that the projects could bring “real opportunities” for local engineering firms and help “bring prosperity back to our communities.”

OppORtuNIty — but NO guARANtEEs

Floating offshore wind development in the Celtic Sea is expected to accelerate later this

decade, with the first large-scale projects likely to come online in the early 2030s.

Supporters argue the expansion of offshore wind is key to reducing long-term energy bills and protecting the UK from volatile global fossil fuel markets.

Milford Haven’s location, infrastructure, and experience in handling large-scale energy logistics place it in a strong position.

But without firm agreements, there is no certainty over how much work will ultimately come to the area.

With billions of pounds expected to flow into the Celtic Sea over the next decade, early decisions could shape the economic balance of the region for a generation.

A defining moment for the Haven

FOR MILFORD HAVEN, tHE

The port has long been central to the UK’s fossil fuel economy.

Floating offshore wind represents the next chapter—but whether Pembrokeshire becomes a key player or a supporting act remains unresolved.

As political parties set out competing visions ahead of the next Senedd election, local leaders are now under pressure to secure clear commitments.

tHE OppORtuNIty Is REAL. tHE INVEstMENt Is cOMINg.

The only question now is whether Pembrokeshire secures its share—or watches it land elsewhere.

Carmarthen Italian restaurant hit with £278,000 tax bill

cARMARtHEN Italian restaurant has been named by HM Revenue and customs after deliberately underpaying more than a quarter of a million pounds in tax — with the company now in liquidation.

Claudio Cernat Ltd, formerly trading as Florentino’s on Jacksons Lane, appears on HMRC’s latest list of deliberate tax defaulters published on Wednesday (Mar 26).

The company failed to pay £278,561.67 in tax between April 2016 and March 2020. A further penalty of £185,977.52 was imposed.

Records held by Companies House show the firm is now in liquidation, having been incorporated in March 2015.

LARgEst WEst WALEs cAsE

The Carmarthen case is the most significant to emerge in West Wales from the latest HMRC “name and shame” list, both in terms of tax owed and penalties issued.It stands in contrast to other Welsh entries, which are largely made up of smaller businesses and individual tradespeople owing tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands.

WHO Is RuNNINg tHE REstAuRANt?

Despite the liquidation of Claudio Cernat Ltd, Florentino’s restaurant in Carmarthen appears to still be operating, with bookings being taken through its website.

However, the website does not identify the company or individual currently running the business. Unless a sole trader, it is a legal requirement to have Limited company name on a business website.

The Herald contacted the restaurant by telephone on Thursday (Mar 26) to ask who currently operates the premises.

editor@herald.email

A female member of staff answered the phone as “Florentino’s” but declined to provide the name of the business employing her.

The call was then passed to a man who said the restaurant was under “new management” and “nothing to do with the old company”.

When asked to identify the business now operating Florentino’s, the man declined to give a company name or confirm the identity of the owners.

He gave his name only as “John” and said he would ask the new management to return the call “when they come in”.

Records show that Claudiu Florentin Cernat, a director associated with the former Carmarthen company, is now listed as a director of a separate business, Maximus Italian Ltd.

The Swansea-based company was incorporated in February 2025 and operates in the same sector — licensed restaurants.

There is no suggestion that the new company is involved in any wrongdoing.

Swansea cases also named

The list also includes three cases from the Swansea area.

Koyuncu Ltd, formerly trading as Pepino’s Pizza in Gorseinon, failed to

pay £46,975 in tax, with a penalty of £28,185.

Lee Andrew Dunn, a mechanical fitter from Portmead, underpaid £29,326.20 and was issued a £17,449.06 penalty.

Christopher Lance Whitcombe, an engineer from Fforestfach, underpaid £54,598.69 and received a £46,596.84 penalty.

HIgH stREEt cRAckDOWN

Around 140 individuals and businesses across the UK have been named in the latest HMRC publication. The list includes restaurants, takeaways, convenience stores and vape-related businesses, alongside self-employed trades, highlighting what HMRC says is ongoing non-compliance across high street sectors.

HMRC said all those named had the opportunity to avoid being listed by making a full disclosure during investigations, but failed to do so.

Kevin Hubbard, HMRC’s Director of Individuals and Small Business Compliance, said: “We are actively tackling tax non-compliance among high street businesses across the UK, and today’s namings show we will act wherever we find it.

“Everyone on this list had the opportunity to come forward to make a full disclosure — and didn’t. HMRC will always pursue those who deliberately refuse to pay what they owe.”

No businesses or individuals from Pembrokeshire or Ceredigion appear in the current list.

HMRC only publishes cases where more than £25,000 in tax has been deliberately underpaid. The list relates to civil penalties only, and names remain public for up to 12 months.

Eluned Morgan: The First minister’s viewpoint

‘Pembrokeshire

First Minister Eluned Morgan has provided the Pembrokeshire Herald with this opinion piece outlining her priorities for West Wales.

WHEN I was elected in 2016 as a regional senedd Member for Mid and West Wales, I was so honoured to represent and fight for that very same community where my grandmother ran her small business and where my family set down roots all those decades ago. I still carry that sense of pride and honour with me today.

My constituents have told me that they sometimes feel that West Wales gets left behind, forgotten about, and that the issues they face in daily, often rural, life aren’t understood.

As the regional MS and as First Minister, I carry those concerns with me closely. It is so important that as First Minister, I govern in the interests of every part of Wales, including Pembrokeshire.

For years, the Welsh Government was forced to take decisions in the shadow of Toryimposed austerity. We can’t underestimate the damage inflicted by 14 years of cuts and austerity. It was the Welsh Labour Government that kept core public services standing through a decade of imposed cuts that hollowed out services elsewhere.

Despite that difficult context, the Welsh Government still delivered in Pembrokeshire.

More than 2.2 million free school meals have been served across Pembrokeshire County Council since September 2022, making sure that every single primary school aged child gets a hot meal every lunchtime in school.

Our school breakfast clubs have been going since 2004 and in the last 10 years alone, 100 million free breakfasts have been served to Welsh pupils. In 2013 we protected them in law ensuring that access to a free, nourishing breakfast for primary school children can never be stripped away by any future government. That’s something they’re only just beginning to roll out in England.

We’ve also massively invested in school buildings – the biggest investment in school buildings

must be at heart of Wales’ future’

First Minister outlines priorities for West Wales in Herald op-ed

since the 1960s. Right here in Pembrokeshire, we’ve spent over £100 million on our school and college buildings.

Broadhaven Primary School, Tenby Primary School, Haverfordwest Welsh Medium School – just some of the schools here where our teachers and school support staff work so exceptionally hard – have all had funding to improve their sites.

The era of defensive policies is ending. With greater stability and UK-level alignment, Wales can now plan long-term. We can start investing, not just coping.

And I want Pembrokeshire at the forefront of that next chapter in Wales’ history. Its coast, its countryside, its people all present big opportunities.

We want to bring the jobs of the future by committing to an Energy Independent Wales, built on clean, green, homegrown energy, where your energy bills are not at risk of the whims of foreign dictators.

If we want to make our rural and coastal communities sustainable for future generations, in order to make Pembrokeshire an attractive

place for young people to start their lives, we must bring jobs.

And for those whose lives will be impacted by the infrastructure that comes along with clean energy, they must see the benefits of those projects.

We’ve already seen advances in this sector in Pembrokeshire with Wales’ first floating offshore wind farm set to be built in the Celtic Sea bringing thousands of jobs with it. Independent analysts have said that there would be a net benefit to bills as a result of the project –cheaper energy bills for people in Wales.

I know public transport in West Wales is often a concern for residents. So we’ve said we’ll roll out 100 new bus routes across Wales, prioritising connecting people to jobs and key services, such as hospitals and train stations. And we’re listening to you – the public can input onto where these services should run. And to tackle the cost-of-living, we’re going to be capping bus fares at £2 for adults, expanding on the £1 fare for young people.

Health is always a topic that

comes up in conversation with constituents so we’ve pledged a 10-year plan to build three new hospitals in Wales, including developing one here in West Wales. And to make sure everyone can reach their local hospital, even for non-emergency appointments, we will require all health boards to put forward a transport plan to improve transport routes to and from hospital sites.

We’re so proud of our beautiful beaches here and we need to ensure that we protect them for residents and tourists who come in their droves to enjoy them. So we’re taking grip of the water system, which is no longer fit for purpose, and if re-elected, we’d introduce a Clean Water Bill to ensure that people who pollute our waterways pay.

Pembrokeshire has been a key part of Wales’ story up to this point – the home of Dewi Sant, the birthplace of a UK monarch, the UK’s only coastal National Park. With a Welsh Labour Government, I want to continue to bring Pembrokeshire along into the next chapter of Wales’ great future.

Average of 18 deaths a week linked to A&E delays, figures reveal

NEARLy 1,000 deaths in Wales have been linked to long waits in accident and emergency departments, according to new data.

Figures published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) estimate that 965 deaths in 2025 were associated with patients waiting 12 hours or more for care. That equates to around 18 deaths a week and marks an increase of 29 compared to 2024.

The RCEM has described the situation as a “tragedy” that should send shockwaves through the political system.

Dr Rob Perry, Vice President of RCEM in Wales, said his thoughts were with the families affected.

He said: “My heart goes out to the loved ones of anyone who died following long waits in emergency departments.

“These are often some of the most vulnerable patients — those who are seriously ill or injured and in need of urgent admission. They should be receiving timely care, but too often they are left waiting the longest.”

Dr Perry said the figures point to a wider failure across the healthcare system, highlighting a lack of hospital beds and what is known as “exit block” — where patients cannot be discharged due to delays elsewhere in the system.

He said improving patient flow through hospitals, rather than diverting people away from emergency departments, is key to tackling long waits.

With Senedd elections approaching,

the RCEM is urging political parties to prioritise increasing hospital capacity and addressing overcrowding in emergency departments.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said too many people are still waiting too long for emergency care.

They said: “Long stays in emergency departments are distressing for patients and their families and can lead to poorer outcomes, particularly for older people and those with complex needs.

“We have made clear that health boards must improve patient flow, eliminate 12-hour waits and end care being delivered in temporary spaces.

“We are working with the NHS, local

authorities and partners to reduce pressures by expanding communitybased care and increasing social care capacity.

“We remain committed to improving outcomes for people who need emergency treatment.”

Sandy Harding, Associate Director of Nursing, Policy and Professional Practice, Royal College of Nursing Wales said: “These findings are deeply disturbing and reflect our members’ experience in our 2025 report On the frontline of the UK’s corridor care crisis.

“Every day, our members are witnessing the consequences of a system under extreme and sustained pressure, where patients are waiting far too long in environments that are not fit for safe, dignified care.

“Corridor care has become an all-too-common reality in our hospitals, with patients being treated in inappropriate spaces without the privacy, monitoring, or resources they need. This is not what patients deserve, and it is not what nursing staff are trained to deliver.

“Behind the figures are real people – patients whose conditions can deteriorate rapidly while waiting and nursing staff who are doing everything they can in increasingly difficult circumstances. The emotional and professional toll on the workforce cannot be overstated.

“We urgently need action to address the root causes of these delays, including improving patient flow, increasing capacity and investing in both health and social care services. Without meaningful intervention, we risk normalising a level of care that falls far below acceptable standards.

“Our Election Manifesto is clear that the next Welsh government must eradicate corridor care as a matter of urgency, and we expect that in the first 50 days of being in office that they:

• commit to publish Corridor Care data by Health Board monthly

• direct NHS Wales to pause the reduction in hospital beds and commission two national reviews, to examine A&E and hospital bed capacity at different levels of patient dependency

• establish care delivered to a patient in a chair for more than 24 hours as a “never event”.”

Tributes to ‘bright and shining light’ after fatal crash

tHE FAMILy of a young woman who died following a road traffic collision on the A470 have paid an emotional tribute to her life.

Ellé Claire Evans, aged 23, from Ammanford, died after the incident which occurred between Doldowlod and Rhayader at around 2:30pm on Tuesday (March 24).

In a statement released through police, her family described her as a “beautiful, amazing, intelligent” young woman whose loss has left them devastated.

They said: “Our beautiful, amazing, intelligent, miracle of a daughter, Ellé Claire Evans, was involved in a road traffic collision at 23 years of age and has now departed from this realm to spend eternity with her Lord & Saviour.

“Ellé gave her all to help those around her in every way she could and as a family, we are devastated at this loss.

“Ellé has always been a bright and shining light everywhere she has ever been and was very much the centre of every gathering.

“We as a family are still processing our loss, pain and sorrow, but also rejoicing in the gift we had in Ellé and the joy she brought to our hearts.

“We miss you already, we love you always and you’ll be in our hearts and memories forever.”

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision and are appealing for witnesses.

Anyone who saw the incident, or who may have dash-cam footage from the area at the time, is urged to come forward.

Information can be provided online, via email, by calling 101, or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

Quote reference: DP-20260324197

Child rapist found with abuse images after moving to west Wales

A cONVIctED child rapist who moved to rural west Wales in an apparent attempt to start over was found with indecent images of children on his phone after his online activity was flagged by the National crime Agency.

Wayne Evans, 59, of Pentrecourt Road, Llandysul, appeared before Swansea Crown Court after officers discovered the images during an investigation triggered by the NCA.

The court heard that in January last year, the NCA alerted DyfedPowys Police to a Kik messaging account involved in downloading indecent images of children. The email address linked to the account was already known to police and belonged to Evans, a registered sex offender.

Officers went to his home on January 28 and arrested him. Evans told police he had not downloaded the images himself and claimed they had appeared in a Kik group he was part of, adding that the group had since been shut down.

Police seized six devices from the property and Evans handed over the pin numbers for his phones and tablets. He later answered “no comment” to questions in interview and was released under investigation while the devices were examined.

A forensic analysis of his Samsung Galaxy phone uncovered 13 Category A images, eight Category B images and two Category C images. The material involved children aged between four and 12.

Category A images are considered the most serious and involve the

Court Reporter

gravest forms of sexual abuse.

The court was told Evans has six previous convictions covering 23 offences. In 1990, he was convicted of gross indecency with a child and indecent assault of a child. In 2002, he was jailed for 15 years for raping a child under 16, attempted rape, gross indecency and five further counts of indecent assault. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life and released from prison in 2011.

Evans had admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, covering Categories A, B and C.

Emily Bennett, representing Evans, said her client knew the court would view the offences in the “dimmest of lights”. She said he had moved to a rural part of Wales where he kept himself to himself and had taken steps to reduce his contact with females.

She also told the court Evans accepted that he still had an inappropriate sexual attraction to children, and said he was in a longterm stable relationship with a partner who knew about his past offending.

Sentencing Evans, Recorder Mark Powell KC said he accepted that the defendant had taken some steps to change his life, but said it was clear he continued to have a sexual interest in children.

The judge said his priority was to pass a sentence which reduced the risk Evans posed. He said an immediate prison term available under the guidelines would be relatively short, could be destabilising, and might even increase the danger to the public.

rehabilitation activity requirement, a Building Choices programme, and 100 hours of unpaid work.

With credit for his guilty pleas, Evans was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete a

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed for 10 years, and Evans will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Armed police attend knife-related incident in Fishguard

ARMED police were deployed to a residential street in Fishguard this evening following reports of a teenage boy with a knife.

The incident happened in the Dan y Bryn area on Sunday evening (Mar 23).

Armed police negotiated with the suspect, persuading him to hand over the weapon. He was subsequently detained, handcuffed, and taken away in an ambulance.

The situation was brought under control without any reported injuries.

The police told The Herald: “Officers attended the Dan Y Bryn area, Fishguard on the evening of Sunday, March 22 following concerns of an individual reported to be in possession of a knife.

Officers have attended the location and secured the knife.

“The incident cleared with the individual taken to receive further care in hospital.“Enquiries are ongoing.”

Hospices across Wales to receive £4.3m funding boost

HOspIcEs throughout Wales are set to benefit from a £4.3m support package announced by the Welsh government, aimed at helping both children’s and adult services cope with mounting financial pressures.

The funding will provide relief as hospices grapple with rising energy costs, workforce shortages and growing demand for increasingly complex care.

Alongside the financial support, landmark national commissioning guidance has been agreed for the first time, establishing a fairer and more consistent framework for how hospice and palliative care services are planned and funded. The reforms are intended to pave the way for a

streamlined national commissioning model from April 2027, tackling longstanding inequities in access to care across the country.

Around 35,000 people die in Wales each year, with up to 29,000 having palliative care needs. Yet roughly a quarter of people currently lack access to a hospice or equivalent specialist palliative care support.

The one-off stabilisation grant brings total Welsh Government investment in hospices to more than £25m over this Senedd term.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, said:

“Hospices provide valued and trusted care to thousands of people and families at the most difficult time in their lives. They enable people to spend their final days with dignity, comfort and compassion, surrounded by those they love.

“This grant will provide immediate support to help hospices continue their vital work. With the new commissioning guidance, we are laying the foundations for a fairer, more sustainable future for hospice care in Wales; one where funding is more predictable, services are commissioned based on need, and every person has access to highquality end of life care.”

National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Dr Idris Baker,

said: “The new commissioning guidance is a major step forward, setting a clear and consistent approach to how hospice care is planned and funded across Wales.

“Hospices are a vital part of the palliative and end-of-life care system, bringing specialist expertise, compassion and support to people, families and communities when it matters most.

“This funding provides important stability for the sector now, while the guidance lays the foundations for a more sustainable and equitable future, helping ensure that access to high quality care is based on need, wherever people live.

“Our focus now is on implementation and the next phase of work to strengthen equity across Wales, including developing a whole system approach to specialist palliative care commissioning. By building on this progress, we can reduce variation, improve access, and ensure services work seamlessly together to meet the needs of people and families across all settings.”

Chief Executive Officer of City Hospice, Dr Liz Booyse, said: “This funding is welcome news for hospices across Wales. Like many in our sector, we have been navigating a challenging financial landscape.

“This stabilisation grant will support City Hospice as we continue to provide specialist care to patients and families who need us most.

“We also welcome the new commissioning guidance, and Welsh Government’s commitment to establishing a long term sustainable hospice sector in Wales, working in partnership with hospices, to ensure we can be there for our communities for years to come.”

Narberth motorist banned for drug-driving and no insurance

A NARbERtH motorist has been disqualified from driving after being caught behind the wheel after consuming cannabis.

Ethan Williams, 21, was stopped by on-duty police officers while driving his Volkswagen Golf along Jesse Road, Narberth, just after 9:30am on Thursday, November 7.

“The officer’s attention was initially drawn by the fact that he wasn’t wearing a seat belt,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Subsequent checks revealed that Williams’s vehicle was not covered by third party insurance, while a

roadside drugs swipe tested positive.

Further blood analysis showed he had 7 micrograms of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system.

The legal limit is 2.

Williams, of Rhywoga, Clynderwen, pleaded guilty to drugdriving and using a vehicle without third party insurance.

He was represented by Fenn Richards, who told magistrates the defendant smoked cannabis “quite regularly” after losing both his mother and his grandfather.

“He used cannabis as a coping mechanism,” she said.

“But he’s now working on reducing his cannabis intake, to the point

where he didn’t believe he’d be over the limit on the day of the offence.” Williams was disqualified from

driving for 12 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Clash over Withybush Hospital services

A HEAtED exchange in the senedd has laid bare growing tensions over the future of hospital services in west Wales.

During the final First Minister’s Questions session, Paul Davies MS challenged First Minister Eluned Morgan to intervene and stop Hywel Dda University Health Board from removing services from local hospitals.

Mr Davies told the Senedd: “Residents across west Wales are understandably upset and angry at these decisions to strip services from their local hospitals.

“They want the Welsh Government to stand up for them and stop the health board from removing those vital services.”

He said he had repeatedly called on ministers to act, adding: “I have asked you time and time again to work with me and stand up for the people of west Wales… will you now intervene and stop the health board removing services from west Wales, yes or no?”

FIRst MINIstER REjEcts INtERVENtION

In response, the First Minister acknowledged public concern but refused to commit to direct intervention.

Eluned Morgan said: “I recognise that communities are very upset about the situation. I understand that people are committed to their local services.

“These services are deeply valued and they’ve got to remain safe. They’ve got to be sustainable. They’ve got to be deliverable.”

She stressed that decisions must be based on clinical advice, adding: “This has got to be a decision that is clinically led and really thinks about the objectives that it’s trying to

Key election issue

achieve to get people better.”

AccusAtIONs OF ‘spIN’

The First Minister also accused Mr Davies of misrepresenting proposals around Withybush Hospital.

She said: “What about the spin that you put up… to say that emergency departments in Withybush were actually going to close?”

She pointed to planned improvements, including expanded orthopaedics, increased cancer care, seven-day diagnostics, and enhanced same-day emergency care.

“You fail to mention this every time you talk, Paul,” she added.

Ms Morgan then challenged the Conservative MS directly, asking: “Do you agree that we should have a brand new hospital in west Wales? Yes or no?”

The exchange underlines how healthcare in west Wales — and particularly the future of services at Withybush Hospital — is becoming a key battleground ahead of the

upcoming Senedd election. Concerns over service changes, travel times, and hospital capacity have been repeatedly raised by campaigners and politicians across the region.

Same Day Emergency Care unit at Glangwili to reopen

tHE sDEc unit at glangwili Hospital in carmarthen will reopen to patients and staff on Monday (Mar 30) following a major £2m refurbishment.

The upgrade, funded by the Welsh Government, has delivered additional consultation rooms, a redesigned reception area, and improved facilities aimed at enhancing the experience for both patients and staff.

University Health

sites, including the Minor Injury Unit at Prince Philip Hospital.

Health board chiefs say the revamped unit is expected to ease pressure on the hospital’s Emergency Department and forms part of wider efforts to improve urgent care services

Keith Jones, Director of Operational Planning and Performance at Hywel Dda, said: “We are very grateful to the Welsh Government for the £2.096 million investment, which has allowed us to increase capacity within the SDEC unit at Glangwili.

“We expect these improvements will help reduce pressure on the Emergency Department and enable our teams to deliver a smoother, faster experience for patients.”

During the works, several services were temporarily relocated to Y Lolfa, formerly Padarn Ward. These will now return to the SDEC building, including the Discharge Lounge, Medical Day Unit and the Primary Care Out of Hours Service.

Cancer support services, including the Cancer Information and Support Service (CISS) and Cancer Psychological Support Service (CaPS), will also move back to the unit.

Access routes for services that remained at the Priory Day Hospital during the refurbishment – including podiatry, neuro-rehabilitation and occupational therapy – will return to normal.

Patients are advised to follow onsite signage or ask staff for directions. The health board said appointment letters will include updated information, but urged patients to double-check details and contact departments directly if unsure.

Mr Jones added: “I would like to thank staff, patients and visitors for their patience during these works.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said the investment would deliver “real improvements” for patients and staff.

He added: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to improving hospital facilities across Wales, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, as quickly as possible.”

Bailed after serious assault in Fishguard

pOLIcE are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in Fishguard that has left a man in hospital.

The incident happened on Main Street at around 11:00pm on Saturday (Mar 21), when the victim was reportedly punched, sustaining head injuries. He remains in hospital receiving treatment.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Dyfed-Powys Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident,

or who may have information that could assist the investigation, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police quoting reference: 26*227686.

Information can be provided online via the Dyfed-Powys Police website, by emailing 101@dyfedpowys.police.uk, by calling 101, or by sending a direct message on social media.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppersuk.org.

Cartlett chocolate factory call refused

A cALL for the retrospective conversion of office space previously connected to a pembrokeshire car hire business to a chocolate factory, a beauty salon and a laundrette has been refused by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr M Williams, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, sought retrospective permission for the subdivision of an office on land off Scotchwell Cottage, Cartlett, Haverfordwest into three units forming a chocolate manufacturing, a beauty salon, and a launderette, along with associated works.

A supporting statement said planning history at the site saw a 2018 application for the refurbishment of an existing office building and a change of use from oil depot offices to a hire car office and car/van storage yard, approved back in 2019.

For the chocolate manufacturing by ‘Pembrokeshire Chocolate Company,’ as part of the latest scheme it said: “The operation comprises of manufacturing of handmade bespoke flavoured chocolate bars. Historically there was an element of counter sales but this has now ceased. The

services known as ‘West Coast Laundry,’ which “predominantly provides services to holiday cottages, hotels and care homes”.

accommodate two customers at any one time. Therefore, ample parking provision exists to visitors.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing and commercial laundrette service these enterprises do not attract visitors but do attract the dropping off laundry and delivery of associated inputs. Drop off and collections associated with the laundry services tend to fall in line with holiday accommodation changeover days, for example Tuesday drop off and collections on the Thursday.

“With regard to the chocolate manufacturing ingredients are delivered by couriers and movements associated with this is also estimated at 10 vehicular movements per week.”

business sales comprise of online orders and the delivery of produce to local stockist. There are no counter sales from the premises.”

It said the beauty salon “offers treatments, nail services and hairdressing,” operating “on an appointment only basis, with the hairdresser element also offering a mobile service”. It said the third unit of the building functions as a commercial laundrette and ironing

The statement added: “Beyond the unchanged access the site has parking provision for at least 12 vehicles and a turning area. The building now forms three units which employ two persons per unit. The 12 parking spaces, therefore, provide sufficient provision for staff.

“In terms of visiting members of the public the beauty salon operates on an appointment only basis and based on its small scale can only

The application was refused on the grounds it represents an unjustified out of centre use with regard to the salon and nail bar, “insufficient information has been provided to justify the loss of B1 employment floorspace,” and “the introduction of a hairdressing salon and nail bar, uses typically found within established shopping centres, into this out of centre location would undermine the strategic role, vitality, and viability of Haverfordwest town centre”.

Welsh Government outlines progress on flood resilience plans

tHE WELsH gOVERNMENt has provided an update on its response to recommendations made by the National Infrastructure commission for Wales (NICW) on improving flood resilience by 2050.

Deputy First Minister and Climate Change Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies said flooding and coastal erosion remain among the most immediate threats facing communities across Wales due to climate change.

He said the Government’s approach is guided by its national flood strategy, climate adaptation plans, and the Well-being of Future Generations Act, with a focus on reducing risk and strengthening long-term resilience.

The update outlines progress since commitments were made in April 2025, with ministers confirming that much of the work will continue into the next Senedd term due to the scale of the challenge.

INVEstMENt AND LONg-tERM pLANNINg

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

The Welsh Government says it is maintaining record levels of investment in flood and coastal erosion management, alongside expanding natural flood management schemes and working more closely with Natural Resources Wales, councils and local communities.

Plans for wider reform of water governance are also under consideration, with a public consultation currently open until April 7. Any major structural changes are expected to be decided by the next Senedd.

Ministers also confirmed they are working towards a longer-term flood resilience strategy beyond 2030, aimed at creating a more integrated national approach.

cAtcHMENt AppROAcH AND cOMMuNIty suppORt

A key focus is the development

of catchment-based strategies, with pilot work underway on the River Taff. Similar collaborative schemes in areas such as the Wye and Usk are already being used to reduce flood risk while delivering environmental benefits.

The Government says improving community resilience remains a priority, with work ongoing alongside the National Flood Forum to better support communities before, during and after flooding.

Officials are also exploring new roles, including so-called “agents of change”, to strengthen engagement with vulnerable groups.

FuNDINg cHALLENgEs REMAIN

More than £5 million has been committed to natural flood

management projects in 2026–27, but ministers acknowledge public funding alone will not be enough.

Work is underway to attract private and partnership investment, including from infrastructure providers and insurers, alongside the development of a new sustainable finance framework.

While multi-year funding is seen as beneficial, the Government said annual budget cycles remain a barrier, though more flexible funding arrangements are being explored.

skILLs, EDucAtION AND pROpERty pROtEctION

Efforts are also being made to strengthen the workforce, including new placements for students in local authorities, with further expansion planned.

Property-level flood protection will continue to be delivered by councils and Natural Resources Wales, with additional support for high-risk households under review.

The Welsh Government said the update demonstrates “clear progress” but acknowledged that long-term adaptation will require continued partnership working and sustained investment.

Doctors say Wales is failing to value NHS staff

DOctORs in Wales have accused the Welsh government of failing to properly value NHs staff after ministers accepted this year’s independent pay recommendations for medical and dental professionals. the row centres on whether the award represents fair recognition for frontline staff — or yet another missed chance to reverse years of falling real-terms pay.

In a written statement published on Wednesday (Mar 25), Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government had accepted the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body recommendations on headline pay for 2026-27. Under the decision, consultants, specialty and associate specialist doctors, resident doctors, dentists and locally employed doctors will receive a 3.5% consolidated uplift from April 1, 2026, while salaried dentists in Community Dental Services and the Public Dental Service will

receive 3.75%.

But while the Welsh Government also said it accepted in principle a 3.5% uplift for contractor GPs and a 3.75% uplift to the pay element of dental contracts, ministers made clear that final decisions on how those increases are applied alongside wider contract changes would be left to the next government.

That has triggered an angry response from BMA Cymru Wales. In a press release issued on Wednesday, Dr Iona Collins, chair of the BMA’s Welsh

Council, said ministers had “once again chosen to impose an award that falls short” of repeated promises to deliver full pay restoration for doctors employed by NHS Wales.

She said the award failed to reflect the “superhuman” efforts of doctors working under intense pressure and warned that inadequate pay would make it harder to retain staff in the Welsh NHS at a time when many are considering leaving for better pay and conditions elsewhere.

The BMA also raised concerns about general practice, saying GP pay had effectively been left hanging because the Cabinet Secretary linked the award to ongoing General Medical Services contract discussions with the incoming administration. The union said this left general practice “out in the cold” compared with other branches of the profession and called for urgent talks.

The Welsh Government said the award would apply from April 1 and added that wider DDRB recommendations not directly related to headline pay would be considered separately with partners. Ministers thanked NHS staff for their “ongoing dedication and hard work”.

The dispute is likely to reignite the wider argument over recruitment, retention and morale in NHS Wales, with doctors’ leaders insisting that pay restoration is no longer simply about reward, but about preventing more clinicians from walking away from the service.

Milford roofer fined after abusive call to rival firm

A MILFORD HAVEN roofer has been fined after making an abusive and threatening phone call to a rival company.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that on Sunday (Feb 2), John Fitzgerald, 56, made a single phone call to a competing roofing business.

“During the course of the phone call, threats were made to the other company’s boss,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

“The reason for the threats was that the defendant believes this other company is taking business away from him. The lady who took the call felt alarmed and distressed as he used foul language towards her.”

The court heard the victim contacted police following the incident but chose not to provide a victim impact statement and did not

seek a restraining order.

“When he was spoken to by officers he said he’d been a d***,” added Nia James.

“He said he’d had a couple of beers and was getting wound up, as he was fed up with them nicking his work. But it was just one phone call.”

Representing Fitzgerald, Fenn Richards said he accepted his wrongdoing.

“He accepts wrongdoing as he’d had a few too many drinks, he made the phone call, and people were winding him up,” she said.

“The defendant has been in the roofing trade since he was 14, and he believed this person had set up a new business and was taking business away from him. But he didn’t mean any harm by it.”

Fitzgerald, of Elm Lane, Milford

Haven, was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £32 surcharge.

GP crisis driving NHS pressure in Wales, Senedd report warns

tHE NHs crisis highlighted earlier this week is being driven in part by a deepening shortage of gp services, a new senedd report has revealed.

As previously reported by The Herald, politicians have raised serious concerns about mounting pressure on hospitals, long waits in A&E, and the growing strain on frontline services. Now, a report published on Friday (Mar 27) by the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee points to the root of the problem — a weakening primary care system.

The Committee warns that without urgent investment in GP services and preventative care, demand across the NHS will continue to rise beyond capacity.

sHARp DEcLINE IN gp pRActIcEs

The report highlights a long-term fall in the number of GP practices across Wales.

In 2002, there were 516 practices operating nationwide. By the start of the pandemic in 2020, that number had dropped to 404. Today, just 374 remain.

The decline has been felt most acutely in rural areas, including west Wales, where fewer practices are now expected to serve growing populations with increasingly complex health needs.

The result, the report suggests, is more patients turning to already overstretched hospital services.

Jon Coles jon.coles@herald.email

FuNDINg MODEL uNDER pREssuRE

Despite Welsh Government commitments to prioritise community healthcare, the Committee heard evidence that funding has not kept pace with demand.

Concerns were also raised about the current funding formula used for GP practices, which critics say fails to properly reflect deprivation, illness levels and the challenges of delivering care in rural areas.

Without reform, the Committee warns that general practice risks becoming unsustainable, with inequalities in access likely to widen.

AccEss FRustRAtION gROWINg

Patients across Wales continue to face difficulties accessing GP appointments, with the so-called “8:00am scramble” remaining a major source of frustration.

Older patients, those in work, and people with caring responsibilities are among those most affected.

The report also points to concerns about reduced continuity of care and shorter appointment times, contributing to declining public confidence in GP services.

HOspItALs FEELINg tHE stRAIN

on emergency departments and delays in care.

By failing to invest sufficiently in primary and preventative services, the report suggests more patients are reaching crisis point — increasing demand for hospital treatment that could otherwise have been avoided.

cALL FOR uRgENt ActION

The Committee is calling on the Welsh Government to shift more healthcare services into the community, backed by sustained investment and reform of the funding system.

Committee chair Peter Fox said: “General practice and primary care are the cornerstone of our NHS.

“If we are to ease the growing pressures across the whole health system, we must ensure people can access services closer to home and receive treatment earlier.”

Healthcare leaders, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners, have also warned that without decisive action, GP services will continue to deteriorate.

The findings reinforce concerns raised earlier this week about pressure

The report concludes that unless primary care is strengthened, pressure on hospitals will continue to grow — leaving patients facing longer waits and reduced access to treatment.

Childcare funding boost announced in Wales

tHE WELsH gOVERNMENt has confirmed an increase in the hourly rate paid to childcare providers under its childcare Offer, following a review of funding levels.

The Minister for Children and Social Care, DAWN BOWDEN MS, announced that the rate will rise to £6.67 per hour from April 6, 2026. The increase of 4.18% comes after feedback from childcare providers and sector data gathered during 2025.

The Welsh Government said the change is designed to help providers cope with rising costs, including increases to the National Living Wage.

The Herald understands the review drew on responses from the Childcare Offer’s Annual Survey, as well as information from Care Inspectorate Wales’ Self-Assessment of Service Statement (SASS).

The move follows a policy shift announced last year to review the rate annually, rather than every three years, in a bid to make funding more responsive to pressures facing the sector.

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

As part of the update, the maximum charge for meals will also increase by 4.18%, which ministers say is

intended to balance affordability for both providers and parents.

Dawn Boden said the Welsh Government remains committed to supporting the long-term

sustainability of childcare services, adding that officials will continue working with the sector to explore further improvements.

Police seize off-road bike after anti-social driving complaints

OFFIcERs from Milford Haven and Neyland police have seized an off-road bike following multiple reports of reckless and anti-social driving in the Hakin area.

Members of the public raised concerns about the manner in which the bike was being ridden, prompting police action. The vehicle was seized yesterday (Tuesday) as part of efforts to address ongoing issues linked to illegal off-road biking.

Police have reminded residents that such bikes are not road legal and

must only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.

Officers are urging the public to continue reporting incidents and sharing information to help tackle the problem in local communities.

Anyone with information can contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, via email at 101@dyfed-powys. police.uk, or by calling 101.

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

Pembrokeshire’s first Starbucks drive-thru Plans submitted

pLANs for what would be the first drive-through starbucks coffee shop in pembrokeshire, and a greggs bakery, on the site of a car dealership have been submitted to the county council.

Birmingham-based GC No.9 Ltd, through agent Simply Planning, seeks permission for the demolition of the existing building, and the erection of a drive-thru Starbucks coffee shop, a Greggs baked goods food store, along with electric vehicle charging points at the PMS dealership, Salutation Square, Haverfordwest.

It includes 35 parking spaces and eight EV charging bays.

If approved, it is hoped some 3040 jobs will be created; the Starbucks coffee shop would be the only such outlet for the general public in the county, with Pembrokeshire College having a Starbucks for students.

Back in 2024, permission was granted for a drive-thru Starbucks coffee shop on land adjoining Days Garage, Fishguard Road, Haverfordwest, but was never progressed; the operator for that scheme since confirming they would

not be proceeding with that option, preferring the PMS site close to the town centre, a supporting statement says.

It adds: “The drive-thru unit will be occupied/operated by Starbucks, a national coffee retailer. Starbucks are one of the principal coffee shop operators in the UK, providing the public with a high-quality offer of hot and cold drinks, cafes and pastries and a limited range of related foods. As such, it will provide an attractive social setting for people to meet and will provide in the region of 2025 jobs, principally available to local people.

“The store will be operated by The Magic Bean Company, the first licensee of Starbucks to open a drive thru. Established in 2014, The Magic Bean Company is a business founded in South Wales that employs local people. They are Starbuck’s only national growth partner covering England and Wales, developing the green electric vehicle Starbucks

platform.

“The other proposed unit will be occupied/operated by Greggs plc. Greggs plc is the UK’s leading bakery retailer, famous for its baked goods, sandwiches and sweet items. The commercial unit will offer fresh, affordable food ‘on-the-go’ and create a further 15 full-time equivalent jobs. As with Starbucks, the jobs will

primarily be provided to local people.

“The proposed operators have confirmed that no existing stores would close as a result of these proposals.”

It adds: “Given that Greggs intend to retain their town centre format store within Haverfordwest town centre, it is considered that there will not be any impact to the health of the designated town centre as a result of the proposed development.”

Comparing this scheme to the previously-approved site, it said the “limited negative impacts” of that scheme would be lessened by the new proposal, which would also support the nearby town centre, “given the ease of pedestrian access from the site”.

It added: “It should also be noted that there is a dearth of comparable roadside provision along the A40 as a whole. The nearest comparable units are in St Clears, Carmarthenshire and are located outside the designated town centre.

“The proposals would not compete with the town centre units in Haverfordwest and will invariably also help to retain lost expenditure within Pembrokeshire itself.”

by/gan Dylan Thomas

Kate Wasserberg

St Davids man banned after drink-driving in Haverfordwest

A st DAVIDs man has been disqualified from driving after being caught drink-driving in Haverfordwest town centre.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that just after 12:30am on Monday (Mar 10), police officers saw a black Mercedes C220 pull away from a green light on Thomas Parry Way.

“As he tried to pull away the officers saw him veer over the centre line, so as a result of the manner of his driving, he was stopped,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

A roadside breath test proved positive. Further breathalyser tests showed Gray had 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Gray, 49, of Bank House, Goat Street, St Davids, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Representing him, Fenn Richards said he had intended to wait until he reached home before drinking.

“But after stopping in Carmarthen, he had some alcohol assuming he wouldn’t be over the limit, and then stupidly, decided to have another drink,” she said.

The court heard Gray is a former army

serviceman of 13 years and is currently employed by Stena Ferries in Fishguard.

“Naturally he’s unsure how his disqualification is going to affect his employment,” added Fenn Richards.

“He’s absolutely devastated to be here today.”

Gray was disqualified from driving for 15 months. He was fined £438 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £175 surcharge.

Waterston motorist banned after drink-drive crash near Neyland

A WAtERstON motorist has been disqualified from driving after crashing his vehicle while more than twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Rhys Duignan, 33, was seen driving a Suzuki Baleno at Lower Scoveston, Neyland, at around 6:30pm on Friday (Mar 7).

“He was involved in a single road traffic collision when his vehicle left the road on the offside,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Police attended and carried out a roadside breath test, which proved positive. Further tests at the police station gave a reading of 75 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The

legal limit is 35.

Duignan, of Main Road, Waterston, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to drinkdriving.

Representing him, Fenn Richards said he had been dazzled by an oncoming vehicle and was unable to take a bend.

“He didn’t think he was over the legal limit at the time, but has since been to the doctor to enquire about getting help to assist with his alcohol consumption,” she said.The court heard Duignan has also contacted the Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service since his arrest.

Duignan was disqualified from driving for 19 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Man spared jail after two assaults on woman

A HAVERFORDWEst man has narrowly avoided a jail sentence after admitting assaulting a woman twice within a month.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that the first assault took place on Tuesday (Jan 28), when Paul Webber, 38, struck the victim to the face. A month later, he carried out a second assault in the town centre, again targeting her face.

“The first was a knock to her face, and the second was a forceful slap, again to her face, both resulting in facial marks,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

A victim statement read to the court described the impact of the abuse.

“Our relationship was becoming really hard, due to the violence and control he had over me,” she said.

“I’m relieved that I’m in a much safer environment, without being afraid of repercussions as I was before.”

She asked magistrates to impose a restraining order preventing further contact.

“I want to feel safe, knowing that he can’t approach me and subject me to further physical or verbal abuse,”

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

she added.

Webber, of Glebe House, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by beating and a third charge of possessing a Class A drug, namely 1.7 grams of crack cocaine, which was discovered during his arrest on Thursday (Feb 27).

A pre-sentence report recommended immediate custody, but this was challenged by his solicitor, Tom Lloyd.

“If he goes back to prison, he’ll come straight out and re-offend,” he said.

“He needs to work with probation to try and sort these issues out because without doing that, we’ll continue going round and round.

“His triggers are consistent and predictable, which means they are much easier to deal with.

“Paul Webber clearly needs help, and his response to supervision has previously been good. There are many things which could be beneficial to him and I find it very odd that probation’s conclusion doesn’t

Banned after drink-drive crash

A HAkIN motorist has been disqualified from driving after crashing his vehicle while over the drink-drive limit.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that just before 7:00pm on Thursday (Jan 9), police received reports of a road traffic collision at Lower Hill Street, Hakin.

“The driver had lost control of his vehicle and collided with a parked car, resulting in his own vehicle ending up on its side,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

When officers arrived, they spoke to Lee Macdonald, 38, who admitted he had been driving the overturned vehicle. He also confirmed he had consumed alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel.

A subsequent blood test showed Macdonald had 114 milligrams of alcohol

in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Macdonald, of Acorn Cottage, Lower Hill Street, Hakin, pleaded guilty to drinkdriving.

Representing him, Jess Hill told magistrates he had no previous convictions.

“At the time of the offence he was having troubles with his relationship, and his alcohol consumption increased as a result,” she said.

“This affected his judgement and his decision making, and gave him the false confidence to get behind the wheel, which is something he regrets immensely. He realises the consequences could have been much more serious.”

Macdonald was disqualified from driving for 14 months. He was fined £125

tie in with all the other factors.”

However, probation officer Julie Norman said Webber had already received extensive support.

“He’s been constantly supervised by probation over the last four years after every term of imprisonment, when we’ve worked with him to address his offending behaviour,” she said.

“But even though he attended, we question what he’s learnt from the intervention after committing an offence of this nature so soon after.

“In our opinion he remains a very high risk of harm to the victim.”

After lengthy consideration, magistrates opted to give Webber a final opportunity in the community.

He was sentenced to an 18-month

community order, during which he must complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, including anger management and substance misuse work.

A three-year restraining order was imposed, preventing him from contacting the victim directly or indirectly, entering any premises occupied by her, or accessing or sharing any information about her online.

Webber was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the victim, along with £85 court costs and a £114 surcharge. A forfeiture and destruction order was made in relation to the crack cocaine.

Tesco grant funds surf therapy for young people

A £1,500 grant from tesco stronger starts has helped deliver a surf therapy programme for young people facing mental health challenges in pembrokeshire.

Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said the funding enabled Tonic Surf to run a ten-week course aimed at improving wellbeing among those aged 14 to 25.

The programme combined surfing with beach-based activities, using the natural coastal environment as a therapeutic setting. Sessions were delivered in partnership with Walkin’ on Water Surf School and supported by clinicians from the Health Board’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Participants received guidance from qualified surf coaches alongside mental health professionals, creating a structured and supportive environment designed to build confidence and resilience.

Organisers said the project helped young people develop coping strategies, strengthen social connections, and support their

recovery through positive outdoor experiences.

Claire Rumble, Fundraising Officer, said: “Thank you to Tesco

“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.”

Hywel Dda Health Charities said the initiative highlights the value of community funding in providing additional support services beyond core NHS provision.

Milford man banned after sixth drink-driving offence

A MILFORD HAVEN man has been disqualified from driving after being convicted of his sixth drink-driving offence.

Stephen Jonathan, 50, was spotted by police officers driving his Mercedes A-Class near the car wash in Milford Haven.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that on the afternoon of Friday (Mar 7), staff at Tesco became concerned about his behaviour.

“He’d gone into the store to buy alcohol but they refused to serve him, knowing he was under the influence,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

“They alerted the police who saw him driving at the nearby car wash.”

A subsequent breathalyser test showed Jonathan had 50 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The court was told Jonathan has a history of similar offences, including two previous failures to provide breath specimens and five drink-driving convictions, the most recent in 2019. Jonathan, of Wellington Road, Hakin, pleaded guilty to driving whilst unfit through drink.

Representing him, Fenn Richards said he had consumed one can of alcohol that afternoon but had also been using large amounts of mouthwash following recent dental implant work.

“It’s possible this could have had an impact on his reading,” she said.

“But he didn’t think he was going to be over the limit on this occasion.”

Jonathan was disqualified from driving for 38 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Reform reveals west Wales candidates for Senedd battle

REFORM uk has unveiled its full list of candidates for the 2026 senedd election, setting out its challenge across west Wales including pembrokeshire and carmarthenshire.

The party has named Susan Claire Archibald, a sitting councillor for Monkton on Pembroke Town Council, as its lead candidate for the Ceredigion Preseli, Mid and South Pembrokeshire regional list.

Speaking to The Herald, Archibald

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said: “I am honoured to represent Reform UK and Wales.” She added that a fuller statement outlining her priorities would be released in due course.

The remaining candidates on the Pembrokeshire regional list are Paul Marr, a former prison officer, Michael Allen, Elisa Randall, Peter John and Bernard Holton.

cARMARtHENsHIRE cANDIDAtEs NAMED

Reform has also confirmed its list for the Caerfyrddin and Llanelli region, with Gareth Beer placed first, followed by Carmelo Colasanto, Sarah Edwards, Christopher Brooke, Alan Cole and Michelle Beer.

The announcement forms part of a nationwide rollout of candidates as the party seeks to establish itself as a credible electoral force ahead of the

2026 vote.

tHORLEy LIstED IN sWANsEA REgION

Among the names included elsewhere is Scott Thorley, a Haverfordwest-based councillor and the first Reform representative elected to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Thorley appears on the party’s list for the Gower and Swansea West region, where he is placed sixth.

Under the Senedd’s proportional representation system, candidates placed lower on regional lists are significantly less likely to be elected, meaning his position is widely viewed as a paper candidacy to complete the slate.

ELEctION FRAMINg

Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas said the party was offering voters a stark political choice.

He said: “After a hundred years of failure, Labour are finished in Wales. The choice at this election is what comes next — common sense and a fresh start with Reform, or independence by stealth with Plaid Cymru.”

The Herald understands that further announcements, including candidate profiles and policy details, are expected in the coming weeks as the campaign begins to take shape.

Spared jail after arriving at police station with knife

A pEMbROkE DOck man who arrived at a police station carrying a sharply pointed knife has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that just after 6:30am on Tuesday (Mar 4), an on-duty officer at Pembroke Dock police station heard a knock on the main door.

“When he opened it he saw Sam Wilkins who asked the officer to help him,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

“He was holding a black-handled knife in his hand, and he appeared agitated.”

The court was told that when Wilkins, 43, was asked to step back and drop the knife, he complied.

Wilkins, of Bethel Road, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place and to a second charge of criminal damage.

Magistrates heard that on Sunday (Mar 2), police received a report of

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a man attempting to gain entry to a property in Pembroke Dock.

“The inhabitant knew the defendant to say hello to, but he’d turned up at her property early that morning, banging on the door and causing a window to crack,” said Nia James.

The cost of the damage was estimated at around £200.

Both offences were committed while Wilkins was subject to a community order for breaching a restraining order.

Despite the seriousness of the case, probation officer Julie Norman urged magistrates to impose a suspended sentence, stating that Wilkins was willing to engage with support services.

This was supported by his solicitor, Tom Lloyd.

Wilkins was sentenced to six

months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He must complete a 120-day alcohol monitoring programme and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay £150 compensation,

Stepaside school ‘under threat’ as MS challenges data

South Pembrokeshire MS Samuel Kurtz has publicly questioned the data being used to assess the school’s future, warning that any decision must be based on “reliable and robust criteria.”

The local Senedd Member said he had been contacted with concerns that some of the figures used to determine whether the school should remain open “may not be entirely accurate.”

In a statement shared online, Kurtz said: “Stepaside School in Kilgetty is under threat, but should it be?

“Concerns have been raised with me that some of the data used to decide whether the school should remain open may not be entirely accurate.

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“I have therefore challenged the Welsh Government to provide reassurance that the local authority is using reliable and robust criteria.

“Decisions of this importance must not be taken unless the evidence is absolutely watertight.”

The intervention follows comments made by Kurtz in the Senedd, where he highlighted that the school serves a growing local community and has maintained a stable pupil population of around 100 over the past five years.

He also pointed out that the school supports a high number of pupils with Additional Learning Needs and operates from a relatively modern building in good condition.

Kurtz questioned how Pembrokeshire County Council is calculating surplus places and whether any potential closure would comply with Welsh Government policies, including the Rural Schools Code.

Responding on behalf of the Welsh Government, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip Jane Hutt said that school organisation decisions are led by local authorities within a framework of national guidance.

She added that any proposals would emerge “in the coming weeks and months.”

No formal proposal to close Stepaside School has yet been confirmed.

However, the comments are likely to raise concern among parents and residents in the Kilgetty area, particularly amid wider debates about the future of smaller and rural schools across Wales.

Rosemarket motorist banned after drink-drive incident

A ROsEMARkEt motorist has been banned from driving after being found in charge of her vehicle while unfit through drink.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that at around 10:00pm on Saturday (Mar 1), police were alerted by staff at the Johnston garage to a Toyota Aygo that had been driven away from the premises. Subsequent checks confirmed the vehicle was registered to Julie Askew, 49, of The Chantry, West Street, Rosemarket.

Officers travelled along an unclassified road towards Johnston, where they discovered the vehicle parked in a pull-in on Church Road.

“They also saw the defendant, Julie Askew, hiding a can of Bud beer between the seats,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

A roadside breath test produced a

reading of 114 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Askew pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink.

Representing her, Fenn Richards told the court that the defendant had pulled over to go for a walk with her partner.

“This has been a significant wake-up call for her, and she hasn’t consumed alcohol since,” she said.

“She has suffered significantly over the past five years as a result of a severely traumatic period in her life, which has led to a decline in her mental health. She has consumed alcohol as a coping mechanism.

“She’s greatly affected by what’s happened over the past five years and has lost a lot of confidence. She’s

worked all her life but now, for the first time, finds herself on universal credit. She’s extremely ashamed to be in this situation today.”

and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge. Her licence was endorsed with ten penalty points.

Fined after stealing coats from outdoor store

A HAVERFORDWEst man has been fined after stealing two coats from a town centre outdoor clothing store.

Ry Williams, 34, entered Trespass UK in Haverfordwest on Sunday (Feb 16) and was seen by a staff member removing a soft black shell jacket and an orange jacket.

Neither item, valued at a total of £125.96, has been recovered.

Williams, of Winch Lane, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to theft when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Representing him, Tom Lloyd said the offence had not been pre-planned.

“This was not pre-planned but was impulsive,” he told the court.

“He’d recently bought some prescription drugs which he’d taken, and as a result wasn’t totally aware of what he was doing.”

Williams was fined £40 and ordered to pay £40 costs and a £16 surcharge. He must also pay £125.96 compensation to Trespass UK.

Youth hub coming to Pembrokeshire – but location still unknown

A NEW youth hub is set to open in pembrokeshire as part of a major uk government rollout aimed at helping young people into work — but officials have not yet confirmed where it will be based.

The hub is one of 12 new sites announced across Wales, designed to support 16 to 24-year-olds with

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access to jobs, training, mental health services and housing advice under one roof.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the hubs will bring together Jobcentre Plus, local

authorities, employers and training providers to help young people who are not currently in education, employment or training.

However, while Pembrokeshire has been named as a location, no further detail has been provided on which town or building will host the service.

The Herald understands that such hubs are often based in or alongside existing Jobcentre Plus offices or council-run facilities, but at this stage no confirmation has been given for Pembrokeshire.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Today marks a major boost for young people across Wales.

“We are delivering support in every region, connecting young people with employers and meeting them where they are so they can take the first step into work.”

The announcement also includes plans to hand more control over employment support funding to the Welsh Government, with £20 million already allocated to pilot schemes aimed at tackling economic inactivity.

Minister for Skills Jack Sargeant said the move would allow programmes to be tailored to local communities.

“Decisions about getting people back into work are made by those who know their communities best,” he said.

The new hubs form part of a wider UK-wide plan to ensure every area has access to a Youth Hub, amid concerns about rising numbers of young people not in work or education.

Further details, including the exact location of the Pembrokeshire hub and when it will open, are expected to be announced at a later date.

Calls to block Withyhedge landfill expansion

FREsH calls have been made to block the proposed expansion of Withyhedge Landfill, with residents warning that allowing further waste operations would be “outrageous” given the site’s recent track record.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is currently consulting on a permit variation application submitted by Resources Management UK Ltd (RML), which operates the Pembrokeshire site.

The consultation, which could allow the site to accept additional waste including up to 50,000 tonnes of “waste soils” per year, will remain open until Thursday (Mar 26).

The Herald has previously reported on ongoing issues at Withyhedge, including complaints of strong odours, gas emissions and concerns about potential health impacts in nearby communities.

In a formal objection submitted to NRW, long-time campaigner Colin Barnett said the regulator should not consider expanding the site while problems persist.

He said: “The public have had enough of ineffective regulation of Withyhedge Landfill by NRW’s handsoff minimal inspection process.

“We don’t want to breathe toxic gases from this landfill. We don’t want to be woken up in the night by poisonous gases trapped in our house and we don’t want to step out into our gardens to be chased inside from the insidious stink still being emitted from the pit of corruption.”

The objection raises concerns about the operator’s compliance record, claiming the site has been among the worst-performing permitted installations in Wales in recent years, with further issues identified following its reopening in 2025.

It also points to reported hydrogen sulphide emissions, which residents say have at times exceeded recognised odour guidelines and caused distress to those living nearby.

Barnett added: “RML, the waste

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company, will say they spent £10 million on resolving this problem. We would advise them to ask for their money back as we still get horrendous spikes of gas drifting into our communities.”

The proposed variation would also include revised restoration levels and changes to monitoring of groundwater, surface water and leachate.

However, objectors argue that the term “waste soils” is too vague and could include contaminated materials. Particular concern has also been raised about the site’s existing licence to accept asbestos and the potential risks of handling multiple hazardous waste streams.

Barnett said: “Of specific public concern is their request to tip asbestos on this site. Beggars belief.”

The objection also questions whether

the permit process is being advanced ahead of any decision by Pembrokeshire County Council on increasing the site’s capacity.

Concerns have further been raised about what has been described as a “daisy chain” of companies linked to the site’s ownership, which objectors claim allows waste to be transported with limited oversight.

Barnett said: “The documents identify our concern with the ‘daisy chain’ of companies owned by David Neal that allow him to transport waste into our county with minimal inspection.”

Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies has also urged residents to take part in the consultation, warning that local voices must be heard before any decision is made.

Mr Davies said: “This consultation is an important opportunity for residents to make their views known about the future of the Withyhedge landfill site.

“There have been ongoing concerns about the site’s environmental performance and its impact on local communities, and it’s vital that Natural Resources Wales hears directly from the people who live in the area.

“I have made clear to the Welsh Government that I believe the site should be looking towards closure rather than expansion, and that Pembrokeshire must not become a dumping ground for waste.

“I would strongly encourage residents to take part in the consultation and submit their views before the deadline.”

NRW’s consultation process is ongoing, and no final decision has yet been made

The proposed changes are likely to intensify an already heated debate around Withyhedge, which has become one of the most contentious environmental issues in Pembrokeshire in recent years.

Man wanted over Class A drugs investigation in Carmarthenshire

pOLIcE are appealing for information to trace a man wanted in connection with a class A drugs investigation in Llanelli.

Dyfed-Powys Police has issued a public appeal to locate Jake Ware, aged 25, who is originally from Liverpool but is known to have links in the west Wales area.

The appeal follows the execution of a warrant in Llanelli on Tuesday (Dec 17, 2025), as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected Class A drug offences.

Officers are urging members of the

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public to come forward if they have seen Ware or have any information that could assist in locating him.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by emailing 101@dyfedpowys.police.uk, or by calling 101, quoting reference: 25001029597.

Members of the public can also report information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Major milestone reached in £8.3m Tenby station upgrade

pAssENgERs at tenby railway station are set to benefit from stepfree access as a major £8.3 million upgrade moves into its next phase.

Network Rail, working with contractor AmcoGiffen, is delivering the scheme as part of the UK Government’s Access for All programme. The project will introduce a new footbridge with lifts, providing full step-free access between both platforms.

Earlier this month, engineers removed the station’s existing footbridge using 220-tonne and 60-tonne cranes. A temporary walkway has now been installed to allow passengers to continue moving between platforms while construction continues.

The milestone was marked by a visit from local schoolchildren, who were given the chance to watch the crane operation and learn more about careers in engineering.

cOMpLEx INFRAstRuctuRE WORk uNDERWAy

Behind the scenes, teams have carried out significant work to relocate and recommission signalling and telecommunications equipment. New ducting has also been installed, and cabling rerouted to support the upgraded infrastructure.

Work will continue over the coming

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months, with the new accessible bridge and lifts expected to be completed in autumn 2026.

IMpROVINg AccEss FOR ALL

The Tenby project forms part of a

wider national programme to improve accessibility across the rail network. Since its launch in 2006, the Access for All scheme has upgraded more than 200 stations across Britain.

Theo Smith, Senior Portfolio Manager at Network Rail Wales and Borders said: “This is an important milestone for Tenby and the local community, bringing us closer to a station that everyone can use with

confidence.

“We’d like to thank passengers and residents for their patience as we continue these major improvements.”

James Gough, Customer Operations Director at Transport for Wales added: “It’s great to see real progress being made at Tenby. This investment will make a lasting difference for both local people and visitors.”

First Minister begins election campaign with visit to Tenby

activists at a street stall.

The visit also coincided with Tenby’s popular steampunk festival, with Morgan describing it as a “bonus” encounter that showcased the town “at its absolute best – sunshine, creativity and community spirit in full swing.”

Images from the day show the First Minister posing with campaigners, chatting with members of the public and meeting festivalgoers in costume along the town’s streets and seafront.

The visit marks an early sign of campaigning activity in west Wales ahead of the next Senedd election, with Pembrokeshire expected to be a closely watched area.

Morgan

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locals, speaking with voters and joining campaigners on the ground.

Posting afterwards on social media, she said there had been “really positive

conversations” across the town and described “a real sense that people want to see Welsh Labour keep delivering and going further.”

During her visit, the First Minister was seen speaking with residents, taking photos and joining local Labour

While Labour has traditionally performed strongly in parts of Wales, political observers say coastal and rural communities such as Tenby could play a key role in shaping the overall result. No formal campaign pledges were announced during the visit, but the First Minister’s message focused on continuing delivery and building on the Welsh Government’s record.

Duffy to tell her story in new Disney+ documentary

pEMbROkEsHIRE-born singer Duffy is set to break her silence about the traumatic events that led to her disappearance from the music industry, as part of a new feature-length documentary for Disney+.

The award-winning artist, who rose to global fame with her hit single Mercy and debut album Rockferry, will speak in detail for the first time about the kidnap and sexual assault she revealed in 2020.

The project was announced at the Series Mania television festival in France by Disney+’s head of content for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Angela Jain, who described the documentary as a “powerful” and sensitive piece.

She said Duffy had “entrusted us with her story,” adding that the platform recognised its responsibility to handle the subject matter with care.

Duffy stunned fans six years ago when she disclosed in a social media post that she had stepped away from music in 2011 after being drugged, kidnapped and raped.

In a later, detailed account published on her website, she said she had been drugged on her birthday in a restaurant before being held captive and taken abroad for several weeks.

She wrote that the ordeal left her fearing for her life, explaining why she did not immediately go to the police.

“It didn’t feel safe to go to the police,” she said at the time. “I felt if anything went wrong, I would be dead.”

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She later reported the incident but said she had felt “petrified” ever since.

The singer’s sudden withdrawal from the spotlight at the height of her success had long puzzled fans.

Her debut album Rockferry became

one of the best-selling records in the UK, earning critical acclaim and multiple awards.

In recent years, there have been tentative signs of a return. In 2025, Duffy appeared briefly in a social media clip promoting a remix of Mercy with dance artist E.motion, sparking excitement among fans.

However, no new official release

has followed, and she has largely remained out of public view.

The upcoming Disney+ documentary is expected to shed light on the events behind her decade-long absence and offer insight into her recovery.

Production is due to begin shortly, with no release date yet confirmed.

Haverfordwest man fined after missing drug assessment

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been fined after failing to attend a mandatory drugs assessment following a positive test for cocaine.

Phillip Carroll, 32, of Gerald Road, Haverfordwest, had been required to attend the assessment after testing positive for the Class A drug at Haverfordwest police station on Friday (Oct 24, 2025).

“He didn’t realise this was a compulsory assessment, but believed it was voluntary,” his solicitor, Fenn Richards, told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Carroll pleaded guilty to the offence. Magistrates fined him £80 and ordered him to pay a £32 surcharge. No prosecution costs were awarded, with the court stating the matter should have been dealt with at an earlier hearing.

Lidl colleagues back Sandy Bear charity

LIDL colleagues in pembroke Dock have chosen a pembrokeshire children’s bereavement charity to receive a community donation as part of the retailer’s expanded investment programme across Wales.

Staff at the store selected Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity as one of two local organisations to receive a £500 donation. The charity provides specialist support to children and young people up to the age of 25, helping them cope with loss and rebuild confidence.

Sandy Bear was chosen in recognition of its work supporting bereaved families across Pembrokeshire, including more than 20 families in the Pembroke area.

Ben Rees, shift manager at the Pembroke Dock store, said the scheme allows staff to support organisations making a real difference locally.

Martin Jones, business development manager at Sandy Bear, said: “Behind every child we support is a story of loss that no family should have to face alone. Support from local businesses like Lidl means we can continue to be there when families need us most, helping children understand their grief and find a way forward.”

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Colleagues also selected Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen Mind, which provides mental health support through community programmes and wellbeing initiatives across the region.

The donations form part of Lidl GB’s wider community investment programme, which has supported more than 145 causes in Wales since 2022, contributing over £188,000 to local charities.

Alongside financial donations, charities linked to Lidl stores also receive support through the retailer’s ‘Feed it Back’ scheme, run in partnership with Neighbourly. The initiative redistributes surplus food, providing the equivalent of more than 2.3 million meals in Wales since 2016.

Lidl GB chief executive Ryan McDonnell said the programme empowers staff to support causes that matter most to their communities.

The retailer says its wider community work in Wales includes investment in initiatives such as its Foodies programme, which promotes healthy eating in schools and has reached more than 25,000 children across the country.

Tenby sailing club works approved by national park

A cALL for works to tenby’s listed building sailing club to improve energy efficiency for the community organisation has been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Harrison Richards of Tenby Sailing Club sought permission for replacing 24 timber windows at the Grade-II-listed Tenby Sailing Club, Penniless Cove Hill, with new Accoya timber doubleglazed units.

The application added: “An energy survey conducted by Dragon Energy Consultants highlighted the existing single glazing and rotten window frames as a significant contributor to the club’s energy consumption.

“Tenby Sailing Club is a community organisation which seeks to organise activities year-round but faces significant energy costs being housed in a historic building. The current windows are beyond repair, with cracked glazing, decay, water ingress, and poor energy efficiency.

“The two windows at balcony level are not included, as they were

previously replaced and remain in good condition. All new units will replicate the existing profiles, dimensions, glazing patterns, and overall appearance, ensuring no visual change to the building’s character.

“The neighbouring three-storey harbour stores occupied by Tenby Sea Cadets have previously replaced the building’s windows with double glazing. This like-for-like replacement in appearance will improve durability, weather resistance, and thermal performance while preserving the special architectural and historic interest of the listed building.”

An officer report recommending approval said: “The Sailing Club was built as a warehouse c. 1825, abutting the C17 sluice. Originally wine stores, it was later used by the local fishermen for stores and is now the home to Tenby Sailing Club, established in 1936.”

It said no adverse comments to the proposals had been received.

It added: “The proposal is to replace the majority (24 total) of windows in painted timber, doubleglazed with face-mounted glazing bars of traditional scale and profile. Whilst a modern practice of glazing, the proposal involves no loss of historic fabric, provides an obvious

visual improvement and addresses concerns as to heating costs.” It finished: “The scheme is considered to be in keeping with the character of the listed building, and its setting in terms of design and form. As such, the application can be supported subject to conditions.”

The application was conditionally approved by planners.

Farmers warned over rising fuel theft risk as prices surge

FARMERs and rural residents across Wales are being urged to remain vigilant against fuel theft following a sharp rise in fuel and heating oil prices linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

FUW Insurance Services Ltd has issued the warning after recent data showed significant increases in fuel costs. Reports suggest the price of red diesel has climbed to around 109p per litre in mid-March, up from approximately 67p in February, representing an increase of more than 60%. Heating oil prices have also risen steeply, in some cases more than doubling from around 60p per litre to £1.30.

The increases are placing additional pressure on rural households, many of which remain heavily reliant on oil. In Powys, around 55% of homes are not connected to the gas grid, while in Ceredigion the figure rises to 74%, leaving communities particularly exposed to price fluctuations.

Concerns are also growing over the potential rise in rural crime. Historically, spikes in fuel costs have been linked to increased theft, with farms often targeted due to the presence of fuel tanks and

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machinery. Such incidents can lead not only to financial losses but also environmental damage where tanks are tampered with or fuel is spilled.

Farmers are being advised to take practical steps to protect their property, including regularly checking fuel levels, securing tanks and pumps with appropriate locks, and installing CCTV where possible. Reporting suspicious activity promptly is also seen as key to preventing theft.

The warning also applies to other rural premises, including churches, chapels, village halls and community buildings, which often rely on heating oil and may be left unattended for long periods.

Dafydd Peredur Jones, Senior Account Executive at FUW Insurance Services Ltd, said: “Rising fuel prices are placing additional pressure on rural communities, but they also increase the risk of theft. We are urging farmers and rural residents to take proactive steps to protect their fuel supplies and remain vigilant. Simple preventative measures can make a significant difference.”

encouraged anyone with concerns about their insurance cover or security arrangements to seek advice.

Call for action over stalled St Clears station project

AN INDEpENDENt senedd candidate has called for urgent action to restart progress on the long-promised reopening of st clears railway station.

Carl Peters-Bond, who is standing in Caerfyrddin and also serves as Mayor of Kidwelly, has urged the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales to finally deliver on commitments first made more than five years ago.

The station, located on the West Wales line between Carmarthen and Whitland, was closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts, which saw widespread reductions to the UK rail network. Its reopening has been the subject of local campaigns for decades, with supporters arguing it would reconnect rural communities to the national rail system.

In 2020, the project secured funding through the UK Government’s New Stations Fund, with Carmarthenshire County Council leading initial development work. The announcement was widely welcomed as a significant step towards improving transport links in west Wales.

However, despite early progress including feasibility studies and design work, the scheme has yet to

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move into construction. No confirmed timetable for delivery has been published.

Carl Peters-Bond said: “People in Carmarthenshire were told in 2020 that St Clears station was coming back. Five years on, we have vision documents, glossy strategies and endless consultations, but not a single shovel in the ground. It’s simply not good enough.”

He contrasted the delay with major transport investment elsewhere, adding: “While hundreds of millions are being invested in Cardiff and the Valleys through the Metro, and billions have gone into HS2, still labelled as ‘England and Wales’ infrastructure, communities like ours are left waiting.

“Carmarthenshire deserves its fair share of investment, and St Clears station should be at the front of the queue.”

Supporters of the scheme say a reopened station could help reduce reliance on cars along the busy A40, while improving access to employment, education and healthcare for residents in

surrounding rural areas. It is also seen as an opportunity to boost tourism by making west Wales more accessible by rail.

Carl added: “Transport for Wales talks about improving connectivity in West Wales, but plans do not get people to work, school or hospital. Trains do. It is time for delivery, not more documents.”

As part of his campaign, he has

pledged to push for a clear timetable, hold decision-makers to account on delays, and press for greater investment in the county’s transport network.

He added: “Carmarthenshire has waited long enough. If elected, I will make sure St Clears station is not forgotten again. Our communities deserve action, not another decade of promises.”

Savers encouraged to seek clarity ahead of ISA tax year end

tWO in three savers say a fixed interest rate would give them greater peace of mind when planning their finances, according to new research from principality building society*, as people in Haverfordwest are encouraged to review their savings ahead of the IsA tax year deadline.

The research, conducted with more than 1,500 people, also found that while many savers feel comfortable managing their money independently, a significant number still value the reassurance of speaking to someone when making important financial decisions.

Meanwhile, around one in six people mistakenly believe they must open a new ISA every tax year, highlighting ongoing confusion around how ISAs work. In many cases, particularly for variable savings products, savers may be able to continue paying into an existing ISA.

With the tax year end approaching, Principality Building Society is inviting Members and local savers to speak with colleagues at its High Street branch in Haverfordwest to better understand their options and make informed choices about how to use their ISA allowance.

The research also highlights the appeal of certainty when it comes to savings. Two in three savers say a fixed rate would give them peace

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of mind, reflecting the reassurance that comes from knowing exactly what return they will receive over a set period. Fixed rate Cash ISAs can provide that certainty, making it easier for some savers to plan ahead.

Vicky Wales, Chief Savings and Lending Officer at Principality Building Society, said: “ISA season

can often feel busy and confusing, particularly against the backdrop of changes in the wider financial environment. Many people value the opportunity to talk through their options and feel confident they’re making the right decision.

Every saver’s situation is unique, so having a conversation can help people better understand their choices and how these align with their longer-term plans. Understanding the differences between savings products

– including fixed and variable rates – can help savers make the most of their ISA allowance, and ensure their money is working in a way that suits their individual goals.”

Principality Building Society is encouraging anyone in Haverfordwest who would like to review their savings ahead of the tax year end to visit their local branch for a supportive conversation about their options, and how they can make the most of their savings.

Fire tears through Carmarthenshire property as police launch appeal

A MAjOR emergency response was launched in kidwelly in the early hours of Tuesday (Mar 24) after a fire broke out at a three-storey terraced property on Lady street.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to the scene at 4:06am, with multiple appliances attending from Kidwelly, Pontiets, Llanelli, Morriston, Tumble, Carmarthen and Port Talbot.

The fire was located on the third floor of the building, with dramatic scenes as flames could be seen through an upstairs window while firefighters worked from ladders and an aerial platform to bring the blaze under control.

Eight breathing apparatus sets were deployed, alongside two hose reel jets, two 45mm hoses, thermal imaging cameras and other specialist equipment. Additional support came from water bowser units and an aerial ladder platform from Morriston. Several neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution, while other residents were advised to remain

Tom

Sinclair editor@herald.email

indoors during the incident.

Crews remained at the scene for several hours, finally leaving at 1:45pm after ensuring the fire was fully extinguished and surrounding buildings were safe. Firefighters also carried out reassurance visits, offering safety advice to nearby residents.

Lady Street remains closed, with access to a number of properties still restricted due to safety concerns.

Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed the cause of the fire is currently being treated as unexplained and have launched an appeal for information.

A spokesperson said anyone who may have CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage between 11:00pm on Monday (Mar 23) and 4:00am on Tuesday (Mar 24) should come forward.

Information can be reported online, via email at 101@dyfed-powys.police. uk, or by calling 101, quoting reference 027 of March 24.

New pilot vessel Llanion arrives at Milford Haven

tHE pORt OF MILFORD HAVEN has taken delivery of a new 22-metre pilot vessel, marking a major investment in safety and operational capability on one of the uk’s busiest waterways.

The vessel, named Llanion, has arrived in Welsh waters following a successful delivery voyage from the Netherlands, where it was built by Next Generation Shipyards.

Designed specifically for pilotage operations, the new craft features a modern hull design, self-righting capability, and advanced safety systems, enabling it to operate in challenging conditions while supporting the safe movement of vessels across the Milford Haven Waterway.

Its arrival effectively brings to a close a long-running saga surrounding a previous generation of pilot boats built locally in Pembrokeshire at a reported cost of around £3.6 million. The Pembrokeshire Herald previously reported extensively on the issue, including a front-page story highlighting concerns about the vessels’ performance and suitability for operational use.

Those vessels were later withdrawn from frontline service following safety concerns raised by crews.

Since taking over as Chief Executive, Tom Sawyer has overseen a shift in direction at the Port, with a stronger emphasis on operational reliability, safety and long-term performance. The commissioning of Llanion is widely seen as part of that reset, addressing issues that had affected confidence in the pilot fleet.

Tom Sawyer said: “This project is a testament to collaboration and innovation. Working closely with our partners and our own technical teams, we now have a vessel that reflects

the Port of Milford Haven, naval architects BMT, Camarc Design and the Dutch shipyard, with Port teams closely involved throughout.

the highest standards of design, safety and operational capability.

“Llanion will play a key role in supporting the safe and reliable movement of vessels on the Milford Haven Waterway for years to come.”

The new vessel is the result of a five-year collaboration between

Dirk Keizer, Technical Director at Next Generation Shipyards, said the company was “extremely proud” to deliver the vessel, adding that it “excels in safety, performance and reliability.”

Ed Soothill, Technical Director at Camarc Design, said it was

“wonderful to see Llanion arriving in Milford Haven,” while Steven Lee, Chief Naval Architect at BMT, described the vessel as “the Port’s next generation pilot boat.”

The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s largest energy port and a key economic driver in Pembrokeshire, supporting thousands of jobs and handling a significant share of Britain’s oil and gas imports.

Taxi fare shock in Milford Haven as drivers switch to meters

tAxI passengers in Milford Haven are facing a sudden jump in fares, as drivers increasingly switch on their meters and charge full councilapproved rates.

One Herald reader said a short return trip from Milford Haven to Neyland cost £30 — around double what he expected to pay.

But drivers insist the prices are not new — they are simply the official tariff

now being applied.

Under Pembrokeshire County Council rules, the standard daytime fare starts at £4 for the first mile (£5 after 6pm), rising by around £3 per mile thereafter. Waiting time is also charged, meaning even short return journeys can quickly add up.

Higher rates apply in the evenings, at weekends and on bank holidays.

End of the £3 taxi

Milford Haven has long been known

for cheap taxis, with short in-town journeys often costing as little as £3 — far below official rates.

That was down to competition, older vehicles, and the need to keep prices low in a town where many rely on affordable transport.

Drivers say those days are now over.

One local driver told The Herald: “People got used to cheap fares, but that was never the real price. Now we have to use the meter or we’re losing money.”

Fuel costs biting

Most taxis run on diesel, now around 170p per litre locally. For drivers covering long distances each day, the increase has hit hard.

Global tensions in the Middle East have pushed up oil prices, feeding directly into higher fuel costs in the UK.

With fare increases requiring a

lengthy council process, many drivers say they have no option but to charge the full tariff.

VuLNERAbLE HIt HARDEst

The change is being felt most by those who rely on taxis the most.

Elderly residents, people on low incomes and those without access to a car are now facing higher everyday travel costs.

There has been no recent increase in Pembrokeshire’s official taxi fares, which have remained broadly unchanged since 2022.

The difference is simple: drivers are now charging them.

As one put it: “We’re not putting prices up — we’re just finally charging what we’re supposed to be charging.”

Loose horse sparks police response in Pembroke

pOLIcE are reportedly tracking a loose horse which strayed into a residential area of pembroke.

The animal was first spotted in Gatehouse View before making its way onto a nearby main road.

A post on the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Citizens’ Forum said the horse had left Gatehouse View and was seen heading towards the road by Pembroke Leisure Centre.

The resident wrote: “Anyone recognise it? Police following it.”

The horse was later reported to be galloping down Buttermilk Lane in the direction of Martha’s.

Stray horses are not uncommon in the area. In January, several animals were reported loose around Pembroke and along the A477, particularly near Buttermilk Close and the Cleddau Bridge.

Those incidents created a hazard for motorists, prompting Pembrokeshire County Council to step in and return the animals. Drivers were advised to take extra care and avoid startling them.

Kurtz welcomes £4.3m National Lottery boost for local communities

sAMuEL kurtz Ms has welcomed more than £4.3 million in National Lottery funding awarded to community projects across carmarthen West and south pembrokeshire since 2021.

Figures released by The National Lottery Community Fund show that £4,318,484 has been distributed through 122 grants in the constituency since the 2021/22 financial year, the same year Mr Kurtz was elected.

The funding has supported a wide range of grassroots charities, voluntary

Tom Sinclair editor@herald.email

organisations and community groups through programmes including National Lottery Awards for All, offering grants of up to £20,000, and People and Places, which provides larger awards of up to £500,000.

Projects backed locally include mental health support for young people, environmental and sustainability initiatives, community workshops,

outdoor wellbeing activities, support for vulnerable adults, and programmes aimed at building skills and confidence.

Among the organisations to benefit is Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, which received £343,584 for its Routes to Discovery project, helping improve mental and physical wellbeing through accessible outdoor activities.

St Davids Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility was awarded £398,078 to deliver its Plant Dewi: Strengthening our Communities initiative, supporting families and local

groups.

Other recipients include The VC Gallery, Redberth Croft CIC, The Tenby Project CIC and Neptune’s Army of Rubbish Cleaners, with funding supporting projects ranging from food initiatives and nature-based wellbeing to volunteering and environmental action.

Mr Kurtz said: “Community groups and charities across Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire do incredible work supporting people and strengthening local communities.

“It is fantastic to see more than £4.3 million of National Lottery funding invested in projects that are improving wellbeing, tackling isolation and creating opportunities for people of all ages during my time in office.

“The voluntary sector plays a vital role in our area, and this funding is helping organisations deliver projects that bring people together and make a real difference to people’s lives.”

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest funder of community activity in Wales, supporting initiatives that bring communities together, promote environmental sustainability, help children and young people thrive, and improve health and wellbeing.

Organisations across Wales can apply for funding through the Awards for All and People and Places programmes to support projects that matter most to their communities.

Further information is available on The National Lottery Community Fund website.

Calls for further A477 safety improvements

sAMuEL kuRtZ Ms has renewed calls for urgent safety improvements along the A477, urging residents across south pembrokeshire to share their experiences of the road.

The push follows ongoing concerns about accidents, near-misses and speeding on the busy route, particularly at Red Roses, Cosheston and through Milton.

Improvements at the Nash Fingerpost junction have already reduced collisions and improved traffic flow, with Kurtz now confirming further progress after discussions with the Welsh Government.

Safety works are set to be carried out at Red Roses junction, while a full review of speed limits through Milton village has also been agreed.

Despite this, Kurtz warned that several stretches of the A477 remain dangerous and require further attention.

He said: “The A477 is a lifeline for our communities and local economy, but too many sections remain unsafe.

Red Roses is a clear example of a junction that may meet technical criteria on paper, yet in practice poses real dangers to motorists.

“These improvements build on the successful work at Nash Fingerpost, which shows that practical changes can make a real difference. But there is more to do, particularly at Cosheston and other high-risk points along the route.”

The MS is now calling on residents, commuters and businesses to help build the case for further action by submitting their experiences of using the road.

He added: “Community evidence matters. Your experiences will help push for stronger, comprehensive safety measures and ensure the Welsh Government acts quickly. Together, we can make the A477 safer.”

A short public survey has been launched, asking road users to report concerns including speeding, dangerous junctions, poor visibility and near-misses.

Former Neyland police officer Louis Knight dies aged 83

A FORMER Neyland police officer remembered as a “true gentleman” and “local legend” has died at the age of 83, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across pembrokeshire.

Louis Knight, of Neyland Hill, Neyland, passed away peacefully at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest on Thursday (Mar 5).

Mr Knight, who served as a police officer in the area for many years, was a familiar and respected figure in Neyland and beyond. In the hours following the announcement of his death, hundreds of messages flooded social media, painting a picture of a man whose impact stretched far beyond his time in uniform.

Many described him simply as “one of the best,” while others called him “a proper local legend” and “a tremendous police officer.”

One resident wrote: “A face and name I will never forget from my youth.”

Another said: “He was a tremendous police officer… a kick up the backside and a word was enough. It stayed with you.”

Others remembered his warmth and humour away from policing.

“He always had a story to tell on the way home in the taxi,” one tribute read, while another added: “Every time you asked him how he was, the answer was always ‘bloody marvellous.’”

Many spoke of his kindness and

the time he gave to people.

“Louis was one of the most kindest gentlemen around. Always made time to chat,” one message said.

Another added: “Neyland won’t be the same again.”

While some reflected fondly on a different era of policing, what came through most strongly was the respect Mr Knight earned within his community — something repeatedly highlighted in tributes from those who knew him as children, neighbours, and later as adults.

Mr Knight was the beloved husband of the late Angela, devoted father of Andrew and Alison, and adored father-in-law of Frank. He was also a loving grandfather to Michelle and Laura, and a cherished brother of Jennifer, Charles and Richard.

His family said he was loved dearly and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

The funeral service will take place on Wednesday (Apr 1) at 11:30am at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth. Family flowers only. Donations in memory of Louis, if desired, are for Ward 8 at Withybush Hospital and may be sent directly to the ward at SA61 2PZ.

All enquiries to Tom Newing & Sons Ltd, Funeral Directors, Dartmouth Street, Milford Haven (01646 693180).

Action-packed Easter fun set for Carew Castle

A HOst of family-friendly adventures will bring carew castle to life this Easter, with a packed programme of events running from saturday (Mar 28) to sunday (Apr 19).

Set against the dramatic tidal reach and managed by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, the historic castle will once again become a hub of activity, offering everything from treasure hunts and medieval

weapon displays to science workshops and live storytelling.

Egg HuNts AND MEDIEVAL ActION

A brand-new Great Golden Egg Hunt will challenge children to explore the castle’s winding passageways and hidden corners in search of clues. Running daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm throughout the school

holidays, the activity costs £2.50 per child in addition to normal admission. Young visitors can also step back in time with Hands-On: Weapons and Armour sessions, held daily between 10:30am and 11:30am from Monday (Mar 30) to Sunday (Apr 12). Children will have the chance to handle replica weapons, try on armour, and experience medieval combat demonstrations at no extra cost.

The popular Find the Key! treasure

hunt also returns, beginning at 3:00pm from the gatehouse. Running on selected days between Monday (Mar 30) and Sunday (Apr 12), the challenge invites children to track down the correct key to unlock a treasure chest.

Magic, stories and science

Creative youngsters can enjoy Magical Makes with Whimsical Wildlings on Tuesday (Apr 14), Wednesday (Apr 15) and Thursday (Apr 16), with drop-in craft sessions held in the castle’s undercroft from 10:30am to 2:00pm.

Meanwhile, Storymaster’s Quests: Tower of Doooooom! will take place on selected dates in early April, offering an interactive multimedia adventure created by author and games designer Oliver McNeil. The audience will shape the fate of their own hero in a tale filled with dragons, traps and treasure.

Hands-on learning continues with Wild Science sessions, featuring activities such as marine exploration, fossil hunting, owl pellet investigations and beginner bird walks.

tREbucHEt REtuRNs

One of the highlights of the programme will be the launch of the castle’s giant trebuchet on Tuesday (Mar 31) and Tuesday (Apr 7) at 2:30pm, as the medieval siege engine is brought roaring back into action.

Daisy Hughes, Manager at Carew Castle, said: “Carew is an extraordinary place at any time of year, but Easter gives us the opportunity to really showcase everything it has to offer. The Weapons and Armour sessions in particular are always a favourite – there’s nothing quite like seeing a child’s face when they first lift a medieval sword.”

For full event details, visit the castle’s website.

Charlie the ventriloquist doll returns to Pembroke Dock after 100 years

cHARLIE the 100-year-old ventriloquist’s doll is coming out of retirement — and back to where it all began.

Visitors to Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre will be greeted by the much-loved character when the attraction reopens for the new season on Monday (March 30).

It marks a nostalgic return for Charlie, who once performed in the very same building — then the Royal Dockyard Chapel — alongside his original owner, Ernie James, a Pembroke Dock bus company proprietor. Over the years, the duo became a familiar and popular act on

the Pembrokeshire variety circuit.

Today, Charlie is cared for by Paul Elliott, of Llanreath, who inherited the doll from his father, Fred Elliott — better known locally as magician ‘Mr E’, whose shows delighted audiences for decades.

Charlie has also recently enjoyed a brush with national attention, appearing alongside Paul at a BBC Antiques Roadshow event in Swansea.

The Heritage Centre will offer free entry on opening day, with Charlie and Paul on hand to meet visitors and share stories from a century of entertainment.

The alternative view By Mike Dello

up to now, I have not mentioned the chagos Islands, and I have to say this starmer guy, along with his countless other cock-ups, makes him a very special kind of stupid.

So let’s briefly recap. There was never an indigenous population. Between 1968 and 1973, the UK removed the residents, totalling approximately 3,000, settling them in Sussex. It was done to make

way for an American air base in Diego Garcia, one of the islands. All happy? Then I shall continue.

In 2024, Chairman Starmer gifts the islands to Mauritius — and practically China — and triumphantly announces we have them back on a 99-year lease, as UK ownership was deemed illegal, decided by goodness knows who. Ironically, Iran attacked Diego Garcia, then Trump condemns Starmer’s cackhandedness over the whole affair. Currently, Monty Python have the book and film rights!

As I write late Tuesday evening, Donald Trump announces he is in advanced talks with Iran to end the conflict, as Iran, he says, very badly wants to end the hostilities — a claim Iran vehemently denies. Not surprisingly, as Israel and Iran have been trading punches all day. Once again, Trump, as we have seen many times, announces ceasefires whilst battering his enemies. One wonders if the Donald saw his ultimatum regarding the Straits of Hormuz approaching and was giving himself more time to finish a job he maybe cannot achieve.

All this proves, once again, it is far easier to start a war than finish one.

Meanwhile, Angela Rayner is coming back to haunt Sir Keir just six months after she accidentally fiddled HMRC out of a cool £40,000 and was removed from the government’s front bench. This week she addressed a mainstream Labour group and fairly discreetly undermined the glorious leader, condemning Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood over her tough liberal stance on migration and accusing Starmer of “running out of steam”. Crikey, I didn’t know he had any in the first place.

She intends to fund her fines and

come back through public speaking and a potentially riveting read of a book. Her preferred new job, of course, is the one our beleaguered PM currently holds. She is a nightmare to the Labour right and a beautifully wrapped gift to right-wing political parties. Go for it, Angie!!!

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy fell foul of the Labour Party last week when commenting on a Muslim march marking the end of Ramadan in Trafalgar Square. Mr Timothy described the march as “an act of dominance”. One of the things he objected to was the fact that women were segregated. London Mayor Sadiq Khan attended, which is tantamount to endorsing it. Whilst the Shadow Secretary’s words may have been excessive, how can it be right that in 2026 women are still treated in this medieval fashion?

The pretend left, who think all things Muslim are tip-top and women are so equal, nevertheless choose to turn a blind eye to this behaviour. A strange lot, the left.

And finally, if the price of my fuel was not £1.48 per litre at the time of writing, I would find Donald Trump’s latest gaffes funny. Japan’s premier, Sanae Takaichi, on a state visit to the US, attended a press conference. She asked whether world leaders were surprised by Trump’s military strike. Trump replied that Japan should be used to that, given its surprise raid on Pearl Harbor. If that was not enough in one day, the President arranged a comedy sketch at the expense of Sir Keir, with his almost doubleentendre: “I can’t go to war, Donald, but that does not mean we can’t stay chums.”

The President has now become the mad uncle you dread turning up at family gatherings.

Defence families in Wales to save up to £6,000

A MAjOR new childcare support scheme for Armed Forces families will be rolled out across Wales from september 2026, the uk government has announced.

The initiative is expected to save eligible families up to £6,000 per child each year, providing a significant boost to household finances amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

The scheme will be delivered through the Ministry of Defence’s existing Early Years childcare reimbursement system and will bring Wales in line with the level of support already available to forces families in England.

Today, 19/03/2026 The Secretary of State for Defence John Healey visited Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh, home to 3rd Battalion the Rifles. He met with families to launch a new scheme for Defence Families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ministers say the move is part of a wider effort to improve recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces, with childcare costs identified as a key pressure affecting morale.

The new support will cover children

from nine months old until they reach three years of age in Wales and Scotland, and up to four years old in Northern Ireland.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP announced the scheme during a visit to Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh.

He said: “Our Armed Forces families are at the heart of our nation’s security. As the demands on defence increase, it is right that we step up our support for those who serve.

“This offer will ensure more military families get the childcare support they need, wherever they are posted.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens added: “Service families in Wales make huge sacrifices and deserve the best possible support.

“They contribute not only to our national security but also to the Welsh economy. This scheme delivers meaningful help with the cost of childcare.”

The scheme will reimburse the difference in early years childcare costs for eligible working families. To qualify, both parents must be in employment and meet the income thresholds

required for a Tax-Free Childcare account.

Hundreds of families across Wales are expected to benefit.

The announcement forms part of a broader package of support introduced since July 2024, including improved military housing, the largest Armed

Forces pay rise in two decades, and plans to strengthen the Armed Forces Covenant in law.

Further details will be provided in the coming months, with families encouraged to begin considering childcare arrangements ahead of the scheme’s launch.

Fake ‘Tenby Town Council’ page sparks confusion with AI “cash cow” rant

A FAcEbOOk page posing as tenby town council has sparked confusion after sharing a lengthy “cash cow” rant about investment in pembrokeshire — alongside what appears to be an AI-generated image.

The post, which criticises Pembrokeshire County Council’s spending priorities, was published under the name “Tenby Town Council” and has already been circulating locally. However, The Herald understands the page is not affiliated with the real Tenby Town Council.

The genuine council page is used for official updates, meetings and community notices, and does not publish political commentary or satirical essays in this style.

The post itself features a surreal image of an emaciated cow drinking from Tenby’s historic town pump in Tudor Square — a scene widely believed to be artificially generated. The accompanying text uses highly stylised language to portray Tenby as a “cash cow” for the wider county, claiming the town generates significant tourism revenue while receiving limited reinvestment.

While the argument reflects concerns that are sometimes voiced by local businesses, the tone and presentation have raised questions about the use of artificial intelligence and parody accounts to mimic official bodies.

A spokesperson for Tenby Town Council is expected to clarify that the page is not legitimate.

The incident highlights growing concerns about the ease with which social media accounts can imitate trusted organisations, particularly when combined with AI-generated images and persuasive writing styles.

With no clear indication that the page is unofficial, there are fears that residents and visitors could be misled into believing the content reflects the council’s official position.

The Herald understands that the matter may be raised with Facebook, as calls grow for clearer verification of public authority accounts online.

RNLI lifeguards save more than 300 lives in Wales as patrols return for Easter

RNLI LIFEguARDs have saved more than 300 lives in Wales since patrols were first introduced in pembrokeshire in 2008, as the charity prepares to return to beaches for the Easter holidays.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution said its lifeguards have saved 315 lives across Wales, aided more than 45,000 people, and responded to over 26,000 incidents. They have also carried out more than six million preventative actions to stop situations becoming emergencies.

The service, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, will see lifeguards return to key Welsh beaches from Saturday (Mar 28) as schools break up for Easter.

In Pembrokeshire, patrols will resume at Whitesands, St Davids, from March 28 to April 12, and at Tenby South from April 3 to April 6.

The RNLI said its lifeguards play a crucial role in keeping beachgoers safe, with around 95 per cent of their work focused on prevention, including advising swimmers, identifying hazards, and educating visitors.

Tom John, a Lifeguard Supervisor in Swansea who joined the service in 2009, said: “We’ve seen more people visiting our beaches each year. While the fundamentals remain the same, we are now a much more proactive service.

“Our training and equipment are

excellent, and we have a brilliant team. This time of year is always special as lifeguards return with energy and enthusiasm for the season ahead.”

He added that lifeguards spend much of their time engaging with the public, offering safety advice, and helping people understand the risks before incidents occur.

Across Wales, more than 35 beaches are now patrolled by RNLI lifeguards, forming part of a wider UK network covering over 245 beaches.

The charity is urging anyone heading to the coast this Easter to choose a lifeguarded beach and to swim between the red and yellow flags.

Visitors are also advised to check weather and tide conditions, understand local hazards, and carry a means of calling for help when taking part in water activities.

The RNLI’s “Float to Live” advice remains central to its safety message. Anyone who gets into difficulty in the water is urged to float on their back, keeping their airway clear until help arrives.

In an emergency, people should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

The RNLI said its lifeguards will continue to play a vital role in protecting coastal communities and visitors as demand on beaches grows year on year.

Rail investment ‘could unlock 40,000 jobs and £11bn for Wales’ says new report

RAILWAy stations across Wales

could help unlock around 40,000 jobs and more than £11 billion for the economy by 2036, according to new research.

A report by Development Economics, published on Monday (Mar 23), highlights how rail infrastructure is acting as a major driver of growth, supporting housing, business development, and employment across the country.

The finings suggest that development within 800 metres of railway stations alone could generate more than 40,000 jobs and contribute £11.3 billion to the Welsh economy over the next decade.

stAtIONs DRIVINg gROWtH

The report identifies what it calls the “rail catalyst effect”, where stations attract investment and act as hubs for regeneration.

Recent examples across Wales and the South West show the impact of rail-linked development. Over the past five years, areas around nine stations, including Carmarthen, have delivered 3,500 new homes, 67,000 square metres of commercial space, and supported 4,500 jobs.

Proposed new stations, including Cardiff Parkway and Newport West, are expected to create around 900 permanent jobs and generate £64 million annually over the next ten years.

EcONOMIc cAsE FOR INVEstMENt

The report comes as Wales continues to face economic challenges, with inactivity rates standing at 25.6%, higher than the UK average of 21.6%.

Researchers say continued

investment in rail infrastructure will be key to boosting regional economies and improving access to jobs and opportunities.

Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of Great Western Railway, said: “The findings of this report are clear. The railway, its stations, and the trains that serve them are powerful drivers of economic growth, community prosperity and regeneration.

“Across our network, development around the railway is delivering thousands of homes, new commercial

space and thousands of jobs, generating hundreds of millions of pounds in economic value for the communities we serve.”

NAtIONAL IMpAct

Across the wider Great Western Railway network, stations are projected to support 238,000 jobs and generate £14.25 billion in annual economic value by 2036.

Nationally, the report suggests railway stations could support more than one million permanent jobs and

contribute £78.7 billion to local and regional economies.

WIDER bENEFIts

The report also highlights the social impact of rail, particularly for households without access to a car, estimated at around one in five in Wales.

With more than 1.6 billion passenger journeys made each year across the UK rail network, the study says improved connectivity is helping people access work, education, and services more easily.

Narberth to host climate briefing and Senedd hustings

tWO major public events focusing on climate challenges and Welsh democracy are set to take place in Narberth next month, with organisers encouraging residents to attend and take part.

The first event is a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing film, which explores the growing risks posed by climate change and environmental damage to everyday life in Britain.

The screening will be held at the Bloomfield Centre in Narberth on Friday, April 17 at 7:00pm.

The film features contributions from leading UK experts across climate science, food security, health, economics and national security. It aims to provide a clear and evidence-based overview of how environmental changes are already

affecting communities, as well as outlining potential responses.

Organisers say the initiative is strictly non-partisan and is supported by a wide range of organisations, including the National Trust, the Church of England, Exeter University, the Royal Meteorological Society and WWF.

Following the 45-minute screening, attendees will be invited to take part in a structured discussion focusing on what the issues mean for Pembrokeshire, including local resilience, preparedness and long-term planning.

A second event, a Green community hustings ahead of the Senedd elections, will take place the following week.

The hustings will be held at The Queens Hall, Narberth, on Friday, April 24 at 7:00pm, and will give residents the

opportunity to meet candidates standing in the Ceredigion Penfro constituency and put questions directly to them.

Organisers say the event will include refreshments and an open discussion

following the formal hustings.

Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, who are hosting both events, say they hope the gatherings will encourage informed debate and greater public engagement

Easter “Eggtravaganza “at the next Llandeilo Antiques and Vintage Fair

the next Antiques and Vintage fair to be held at the civic Hall Llandeilo, will be on saturday 4 th April and will definitely have an Easter flavour. The fair provides visitors with inspiration and a choice of antiques and vintage at affordable prices.

The Antiques fair can be located in the heart of Llandeilo, close to the main car park.Here you will find a bustling, vibrant Fair with lots of antiques and vintage to whet your appetite. The fair now includes a vintage element with

a touch of retro and some impressive outside stands.

Being a Welsh Fair it is understandable that there should be a good selection of Welsh items on offer. Whether it’s an original Welsh watercolour or oil painting or a piece of Welsh pottery or examples of Welsh textiles, visitors will be surprised by the variety on offer

.The fair falls on Easter weekend and there will certainly be an Easter theme including Easter flower displays and of course the presence of the Easter bunny and no doubt some Easter eggs.

Professor James Daybell examines how the long association of eggs with Easter has led to today’s multimillionpound industry

Have you ever wondered about the history of the Easter egg?

Ever mused about what’s really behind our present-day tradition of giving chocolate eggs as gifts on Easter Sunday, a practice that has been so enthusiastically embraced as a commercialised ritual, along with its bedfellows the Easter egg hunt and the Easter bunny?

An estimated whopping 80 million chocolate eggs are sold each year in the UK alone. The first English chocolate egg was sold by Fry’s in 1873. Since then they’ve become hugely popular – Perhaps less well-known are the customs of egg-rolling, pace-egging and egg-tapping (the last mentioned is basically a version of conkers, but with

eggs!). But what is the history behind this current chocomania, which annually assaults both waistlines and teeth?

The egg itself has for centuries been one of the most important and adaptable symbols in myths and rituals across Europe and Asia. Within the Christian tradition of Easter, the egg has long symbolised new life, birth, purity, fertility and regeneration: the emergence of the chick from the egg represents the resurrection of Christ; the egg’s oval shape is symbolic of the stone rolled away from Christ’s tomb; while early Christians stained eggs red to remember the blood of Christ shed at the crucifixion.

More practically, eggs were a staple part of everyone’s diet – rich or poor –and crucially they were forbidden during Lent. This enforced abstinence explains their prominence in Shrovetide customs immediately before Lent, and at Easter when they make a return to the table. Eggs were given as gifts, paid as rent to social superiors in the medieval manor, and given to the church. In some farming communities, eggs functioned as a minor currency, and since hens were looked after by women within the household economy, this gave them a modest but regular income, as well as a rich source of protein with which to supplement their family’s diet.

The very act of giving eggs of varying sorts – coloured, papier-mâché and even bejeweled – as gifts at Easter itself has

a long tradition. In 1290 the household of the English king Edward I bought 450 eggs to be coloured, covered in gold leaf and distributed among his royal entourage.

Other lavish gifts of eggs include one sent to a youthful Henry VIII in a silver case as a seasonal gift from the Vatican (before his split from Rome); and the Russian Tsar Alexander III in 1885 commissioned a fabulously expensive decorated Fabergé egg as a special Easter present for his wife. Properly the most famous, and definitely the most expensive, Easter eggs of all time were the ones made by Peter Carl Fabergé (1846–1920), 50 of which were made for the Russian royal family between 1885 and 1917, of which 44 have at least partially survived. The first egg, known as the ‘Hen Egg’, was probably based upon one made for the Danish royal family in the 18th century. At around 7cm (2.5 inches) long it had a plain, enamelled exterior with a simple gold band but opened to reveal a tiny golden hen sitting on golden straw, and inside the hen was a tiny diamond replica of the imperial crown. The Empress Maria Feodorovna was so thrilled with the egg that Fabergé was given free rein to create the future eggs however he saw fit. Each egg was a beautiful object in itself, and each contained an astonishing ‘surprise’. Probably the epitome of his craft was the Imperial Coronation egg, made in 1897. Its surprise was a 10cm

(4-inch) replicate of the 18th-century Russian imperial coach recreated in exacting detail – a gold body, platinum tyres, rock crystal windows and working shock absorbers. It is very hard to put a value on it today, but is almost certainly worth more than $20,000,000. Before the Reformation, the Church blessed eggs as food after the Lenten prohibition, and this developed into a custom of hardboiling and decorating eggs as presents for children.

The egg was therefore an incredibly versatile and symbolic form, gifted to the poor, to social superiors and the church, as well as to children. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries egg-shaped toys were manufactured for Eastertide; the Victorians gave cardboard and satin covered eggs filled with chocolates and gifts.

It was not, however, until the early nineteenth century that the first chocolate Easter eggs were manufactured in France and Germany, though these were predominantly solid rather than hollow. The first British chocolate Easter egg was produced in 1873 by J.S. Fry & Sons, closely followed in 1875 by John Cadbury.

The practice of giving chocolate

Easter eggs is now so ubiquitous in Western cultures that their manufacture in the UK alone is a multimillion-pound business; multi-national confectionery firms have appropriated and secularised what was a religious ritual.

So popular is the custom, that in recent years even the hallowed National Trust has adopted the Easter egg hunt as an annual pageant as a way of drawing in the crowds. The National Trust’s

Killerton in mid-Devon has already taken delivery of 4,500 eggs for its own egg hunt this season.

Various traditions and superstitions sprang up around the egg at Easter. Eggs laid on Good Friday were said to turn into diamonds if they were kept for 100 years. Some thought that eggs cooked on Good Friday and eaten on Easter would promote fertility and prevent sudden death, and it became the custom to have your eggs blessed before you ate them. It was also said that if your egg had two yolks, you’d soon become rich. In Devon and Cornwall, people used to play a game like conkers with their eggs, hitting them against each other until one of them cracked.

One tradition just about clings on in some parts of England – the ‘pace egg’, and pace egg plays. The word ‘pace’ comes from ‘paschal’, the Latin name for Easter. They were hard boiled hen, duck or goose eggs with a colourful shell.

A selection of colourful traditional Easter eggs, known as pace eggs.

The first mention of pace eggs comes from early 18th-century Lancashire,

and they grew in popularity over the century. They were given as presents or at pace egg plays, and sometimes they were rolled along the ground in a race –perhaps to symbolise the rolling away of the stone from Jesus’ tomb. There’s still an annual egg rolling event in Preston. The world’s most famous egg roll takes place every year on the White House lawn in Washington DC.

In an odd sort of way, this modernday incarnation of a much older custom is being used as a way of peddling our nation’s history and heritage.

The Llandeilo fair has a rich cross section of antiques and vintage on display, from jewellery,watches, books, ephemera, militaria and vintage clothes and accessories. There will also be collections of glass and up cycled and pre loved furniture, plus interior design pieces. I’m sure visitors will not be disappointed with the selection on offer at this popular fair.

Homemade refreshments will be available and doors open at 10 am until 4pm.Admission is just £2 and dogs are welcome.

Historic estate nears capacity after attracting 60 new organisations

pARc DEWI sANt in carmarthen is approaching a major milestone after attracting 60 organisations in just two years, transforming the historic estate into one of Wales’ most significant integrated health and wellbeing campuses.

Set within 38 acres of the former St David’s psychiatric hospital site, the campus is now home to around 80 occupiers spanning primary care, therapy and rehabilitation services, nursing education, specialist autism provision, charities, and a wide range of community organisations.

Demand for space within the main buildings has been strong, with most now fully occupied. Attention is turning to two remaining buildings on the estate which require substantial restoration and are expected to form the next phase of development.

The owners say discussions are already underway with potential partners interested in repurposing the buildings for further healthcare, rehabilitation, and community-based services. They are seeking organisations that can help maximise the long-term potential of the site before major refurbishment work begins.

Future uses under consideration include nursing care provision, mental health step-down accommodation, and complementary services designed to strengthen the wider health and wellbeing network already established at Parc Dewi Sant.

Originally developed in the 19th century as a county asylum and later used for NHS mental health services until 2001, the estate has been reimagined as a modern campus focused on prevention, education, and community wellbeing.

Today, a broad range of services operate from the site. These include GP provision alongside NHS clinics such as diabetic eye screening, antenatal services, weight management, and smoking cessation programmes.

Community-based services including social prescribing, the Hywel Dda Community Resource Team, and the Parent and Infant Feeding Group are also based there, alongside specialist facilities such as Hafen Derwen and the Cwm Seren mental health unit.

In addition to clinical provision, the campus hosts a variety of wellbeing, leisure, and support organisations, including the Better Health and Wellbeing Hub, Hwybod + gym, and a range of therapy and rehabilitation services supporting both physical and mental health.

Parc Dewi Sant serves a strategic catchment of around 187,000 people across Carmarthenshire and is located close to Glangwili Hospital, offering complementary services focused on prevention, recovery, and community care.

Mark Andrews, Director of Parc Dewi Sant, said: “It has been a privilege to become custodians of such a historic and important estate in the heart of

Carmarthen.

“From the outset we believed the site had enormous potential, and it is incredibly rewarding to see such a vibrant community of organisations now operating here.

“To have 80 occupiers on site, including 60 who have joined us in the past two years, is a fantastic milestone and a real testament to the vision for Parc Dewi Sant.

“As the main buildings reach capacity, our focus now turns to the remaining buildings and how they can be brought back into productive use.

“We would welcome conversations with organisations that can bring complementary services and ideas to the site and help us continue building a campus that supports health, wellbeing, and community life across Carmarthenshire.”

Organisations based at the campus say the environment has created new opportunities for collaboration and improved service delivery.

Meddygfa Parc, a new NHS GP surgery, relocated to the site from the town centre last month.

Jodi Bateman from the surgery said: “We feel incredibly fortunate to have moved to the beautiful surroundings of Parc Dewi Sant. This exciting new chapter allows us to continue providing high-quality care in a welcoming and modern environment.

“Our new premises give us the space and facilities to expand and develop the services we offer, helping us to better meet the needs of our growing community.”

Weather presenter spotted filming in Pembrokeshire

A WELL-kNOWN Welsh weather presenter was spotted in Pembrokeshire as he filmed scenes for a new series celebrating the county’s coastline.

Derek Brockway, who has been a familiar face on BBC Wales since 1995, was in St Davids recently working on another instalment of his popular walking series along the Pembrokeshire Coast.

Local resident Thomas Tudor said it was “lovely” to meet the broadcaster during filming, posing for a photograph alongside his mother, Beryl Tudor, and sister, Bethan Thomas Price.

Brockway, who is based at BBC Cymru Wales in Cardiff, is widely known not only for his weather forecasts across television, radio and online, but also for his programmes showcasing Wales’ landscapes and coastal paths.

The latest filming in St Davids is expected to form part of an upcoming series highlighting the natural beauty and walking routes of Pembrokeshire, an area long regarded as one of the jewels in Wales’ tourism crown.

Cabinet backs major leisure investment plan for Pembrokeshire

pEMbROkEsHIRE cOuNty cOuNcIL’s cabinet has approved a major investment programme aimed at transforming leisure facilities across the county.

The multi-million-pound Leisure Investment Programme includes plans for new leisure centres in Milford Haven and Pembroke, alongside a £4.6 million package to repair and extend the life of Tenby’s swimming pool.

Cabinet members were told that both Pembroke and Milford Haven leisure centres are reaching the end of their usable life. Pembroke Leisure Centre opened in 1974, while Milford Haven’s facility followed in 1984, ten years after the site’s original swimming pool.

The report highlighted that maintaining the ageing buildings would require millions of pounds in ongoing repairs, with replacement now seen as the most sustainable long-term solution.

For Milford Haven, Cabinet approved £1.2 million to develop detailed plans, including design work and pre-construction activity. The proposed new leisure centre would be built alongside the town’s planned new primary and secondary school development.

In Pembroke, councillors agreed £195,000 to carry out feasibility studies for a new leisure centre on the existing site.

Meanwhile, Tenby’s swimming pool will receive a £4.6 million capital grant awarded to the Tenby and

District Swimming Pool Association, which owns the facility. The funding is expected to extend the pool’s lifespan by at least ten years, allowing time to explore longer-term options, including possible integration with future secondary school provision in the town.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said the decision marked a major step forward. He said: “We have taken a significant step towards delivering leisure facilities that are fit for the future and meet the needs of our communities.

“We are committed to providing high-quality sports and leisure provision across Pembrokeshire, and where significant investment is required, we will not shy away from it. These facilities play a vital role in supporting long-term health and wellbeing.”

Owain Wyn Evans highlights hearing health concerns across Wales

NEW research has revealed just how closely sound is linked to identity in Wales — but also raised concerns about declining hearing health across the country.

A study commissioned by Specsavers and fronted by broadcaster and drummer Owain Wyn Evans found that nearly half of adults in Wales have noticed changes in their hearing in recent years, yet many are failing to act.

sOuND sHApEs WELsH IDENtIty

The research found that seven in ten people in Mid and West Wales (69%) say hearing a Welsh accent is what makes Wales feel most like home. Over half also pointed to the Welsh language (59%) and the sounds of the countryside (57%) as central to their sense of belonging.

Community events also play a key role, with 68% saying occasions such as Eisteddfodau and local fêtes bring people together through shared sound — more than those who cited singing at

rugby or football matches (59%).

Overall, 65% of respondents said sound is an important part of their Welsh identity, with Welsh choirs (54%) and everyday language (53%) also featuring strongly. Around 40% said losing the ability to hear these sounds would make them feel less connected to Welsh culture.

HEARINg IssuEs ON tHE RIsE

Despite this strong emotional connection to sound, the study highlights growing concerns around hearing health.

Some 45% of adults said they have noticed changes in their hearing in recent years. However, more than a quarter have taken no action.

Exposure to loud environments appears to be a key factor. Nearly three in ten people (29%) reported experiencing temporary muffled hearing or ringing in their ears after live music or gigs, while one in five (21%) said the same after visiting nightclubs.

Across Wales, 38% said they had experienced similar symptoms after live events, yet only 24% of those who noticed a decline in their hearing had a hearing check in the past two years. More than a quarter (28%) said they have taken no action and do not plan to.

OWAIN WyN EVANs sHAREs pERsONAL ExpERIENcE

The findings are personal for Owain Wyn Evans, 42, who has experienced hearing changes himself.

The Ammanford-born broadcaster said: “I first noticed changes to my hearing about five years ago. I’ve been drumming since I was ten, often in very loud environments like rugby and social clubs, and over time I realised I was missing parts of conversations.

“It was a shock to be told there had been changes, but it made me take my hearing health seriously.

“Sound is such a huge part of who we are in Wales — from the countryside to the sea. Protecting our hearing means

protecting those connections.”

bARRIERs tO sEEkINg HELp

Despite recognising the importance of hearing, one in three people (33%) admitted they have never taken steps to protect it. More than a third (38%) said they would feel more confident wearing glasses than using hearing devices. For some, taking action has been life-changing. Cardiff-based former DJ Amal Luchmun, 56, said hearing loss had begun to affect everyday life.

“My hearing loss became a conversation killer,” he said. “I’d find myself guessing what people were saying and avoiding noisy environments because it was exhausting.

“Since getting a hearing device, the difference has been huge. I recently went to a Six Nations match and could hear everything clearly and chat easily with people around me.”

Experts urge early action

Annie Morris, head of clinical performance at Specsavers, said hearing changes often go unnoticed.

“Changes to our hearing usually happen gradually, and the brain adapts to missing sounds,” she said. “People often don’t realise how much they’re missing until it starts to affect conversations.

“On average, people wait around ten years before seeking help. While hearing loss can’t be reversed, acting early can slow further decline.”

She added that simple steps such as wearing ear protection in loud environments and booking regular hearing checks can make a significant difference.

cHEcks AVAILAbLE AcROss WALEs

Specsavers stores across Wales offer hearing tests both in-store and through home visits for those unable to travel.

Everyday spaces key to future of Welsh language

EVERyDAy use of the Welsh language must extend beyond classrooms into workplaces, communities and online spaces if it is to thrive, according to a new report.

The study, published by the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities, highlights the need for greater investment in the social, cultural and digital environments where people live their daily lives.

The report, Cymraeg in every community: strengthening the Welsh language, focuses on areas where fewer than 40% of people speak Welsh. It examines how the language can become a more natural part of everyday life in these communities.

The Commission says that while education remains vital, it cannot carry the responsibility alone. Young people must have opportunities to use Welsh outside school, particularly in activities they enjoy such as sport, youth groups and cultural events.

Among its recommendations is the creation of a dedicated fund to boost Welsh-language content online, including support for young people producing digital media in Welsh.

The report builds on earlier work published in August 2024, which focused on areas with higher numbers of Welsh speakers.

Commission co-chair Dr Simon Brooks said: “To ensure Welsh is a national language that belongs to us all, its future as a community language must be secured in every part of Wales. We urge the next Welsh Government to act on these recommendations with ambition.”

Co-chair Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones added that there is strong appetite to use Welsh, but a lack of spaces to do so.

She said: “More than half of Welsh speakers live in areas where fewer than 40% of people speak the language. Public policy must create the right conditions for Welsh to flourish in everyday settings, with real investment in the spaces where people spend their time.”

She also pointed to international examples, including the Basque Country, where communities have actively created environments for their language to be used naturally.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Language, Mark Drakeford, said the Welsh Government remained committed to its target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

He said: “Significant progress has already been made, with 17 recommendations from the Commission’s first report implemented during this Senedd term. This latest report provides a strong foundation to build on that momentum.”

BADGER AND THE LAST CHANCE SALOON

AS the current Senedd term winds to its conclusion this week, spare a moment for those exceptional political figures who have chosen this point to end their frontline political careers.

It’ll only take a moment. If that.

Now, let’s think of all those Labour Senedd members, and it is overwhelmingly Labour members, who have taken this opportunity to draw a line under their occupation of seats in Cardiff Bay and their negligible influence over events. A bit harsh, you might think, but that is surely the Welsh Government ministers’ assessment of their prolonged period suckling from the public teat.

After all, readers, we should take Welsh Government ministers at their word: the failures of the Welsh education system, its appalling performance, its inability to retain staff, or persuade students to attend school - none of those is anything to do with the Welsh Government. We know that’s the case because countless faceless and nameless Welsh education ministers say that’s the case. The only education minister to do anything more than tread water was Kirsty Williams, a Liberal Democrat.

Now consider the Welsh NHS. Nothing that has gone wrong over the last twenty-seven years, not a thousand deaths due to the chaotic nature of emergency care in the last year, not countless deaths waiting for ambulances to turn up, not never-ending waiting lists, not rotting hospitals, the effective end of local healthcare, too few nursing staff, a postcode lottery for surgery, the loss of GPs, the loss of timely routine dental care, the lack of specialist clinicians, not every bloody health board in Wales in some form of special measures; there is nothing a single Welsh Government health minister could do about any of them. Three of the last four health ministers have gone on to be First Minister. That suggests Labour is sodding delusional about the quality of its work on the Welsh NHS.

Moving on, let’s look at the economy. Or what’s left of it. Too late did the Welsh Government realise that keenly embracing the wunnerful

world of greenness would lead to industrial armageddon. Goodbye steel production, goodbye fossil fuels, and goodbye jobs. The green wet dream has almost put paid to Welsh agriculture and is on its way to ensuring that every landscape in Wales that visitors to our nation adore is disfigured by pylons, wind turbines, solar farms, and the steaming failure of the Welsh Government to find a single project to invest in that hasn’t ended in expensive disappointment. But none of that, readers, none of those negative outcomes was the fault of a single Welsh Government minister. It was all outside their control. And because that’s what Labour’s leading lights have always claimed, it must be true. They wouldn’t lie.

The Welsh language is an interesting case study. Overall, the Welsh Government has not spent much on it. What it has spent on promoting the language has been largely wasted. Three Welsh language centres across Wales have closed in recent years. They were opened at a combined cost of £2.5m. Welsh ministers may as well have bought one million Euromillions tickets with

that money for all the good they’ve done. They’d certainly have made a better return on the investment of public money in them. And this week, the Welsh Government took receipt of a report it commissioned that revealed - to nobody’s surprise and widespread derision - that the Welsh language’s future depends on its daily use in communities and not on targets, programmes, and aspirations. In other news, bears defecate in woods.

Local government is increasingly compelled to fund all kinds of welfare expansion - the ever-growing cost of adult and child social care, for example - while cutting or charging for the nonstatutory services that most people deem core to the reason why they pay council tax. These costs often account for 70% of total spending. Councillors cannot remedy the situation, as they lack the legislative authority to change it, yet the growing discontent is directed at councillors and councils.

Councils and councillors are being forced to do the Welsh Government’s work and Welsh ministers’ work on the cheap. Council tax will continue to rise, and the services people expect will continue to be cut, until people

realise that local government is a national government issue.

In 27 years of devolution, Cardiff Bay has not even begun to address how local government is meant to do more with less. Instead, every year, extra regulations and tweaks to regulations pile more work on councils without funding for doing it. Every plan for reorganisation, every scheme to make the funding formula more connected with reality and fairer for rural Wales, every attempt to rationalise local government fundingincluding reforming council tax - has either failed or been kicked into the long grass.

And that, again, is not the fault of any Welsh minister. Like every other failure, it has nothing to do with them.

Gracious, readers, you’d almost think there’s no point to having a Welsh Parliament, so powerless are members of the Welsh Government to influence policy areas over which they’ve had direct control for twentyseven cowing years!

Successive Welsh Governments have failed to make the most of devolution. Bearing in mind the one constant party in government for every single one of those twenty-seven years, and also bearing in mind that whatever happens in Wales is nothing to do with the Welsh Government (see above), leads Badget to conclude that having the same party at the helm for so long has been a waste of money and a failure of democracy.

We have allowed Welsh ministers to be unaccountable, and they have repaid the Welsh electorate with contempt and neglect. If you listen to Eluned Morgan bleating away angrily when asked a direct question, you’d think she’d spent all of her time in Cardiff Bay in opposition instead of in government.

No, First Minister: the buck for over a quarter of a century of posturing nonsense instead of delivering for the Welsh people really does stop with you, even if you’d rather it didn’t.

For too long, the reward for abject failure has been the continued opportunity to fail abjectly.

There are fewer than 6 weeks until the next election. Don’t get fooled again

Milford Haven salon named national awards finalist

MILFORD HAVEN beauty therapist has been shortlisted for a major national award celebrating excellence in the hair and beauty industry.

Charlotte Mitchell-Johns, of The Attic Hair & Beauty, has been named a finalist in the Hair Extensions Specialist category at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2026.

Ms Mitchell-Johns, who is a Level four beauty therapist, also works as a hair extensions specialist and beauty educator with HB Training.

Speaking about the recognition, she said she was “truly honoured” to be named among the finalists.

She added that she believes the industry thrives on collaboration rather than competition, and that supporting others is key to long-term success.

Ms Mitchell-Johns has been recognised for her technical skill, commitment to clients, and efforts to maintain high standards within the beauty sector.

The UK Hair and Beauty Awards highlight leading professionals from across the country, celebrating talent, creativity and dedication within the industry.

Pembrokeshire foster carers could get council tax exemption

tHE FINAL sign-off for a pilot scheme for foster carers in pembrokeshire to be exempt from council tax payments, has been backed by senior councillors.

Last July, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet members backed a pilot scheme, giving 100 per cent exemptions for those meeting the criteria, running from April 1 of this year, up to March 31, 2029.

In a report presented by Cabinet Member for Young Persons, Community, Well-being and Future

Generations Cllr Marc Tierney, members heard the average yearly cost of a young person being supported by an in-house foster carer per year is £22,770, while the cost for those in in residential care per year is £409,812, a variance of £387,042 per year.

“It is evident that if we can support more people to foster through a council tax discretionary discount scheme, this will benefit the Local

Authority by reducing reliance on far more expensive residential care placements, or independent fostering agency arrangements, whilst enabling children to remain in their own communities,” the report said.

It added: “Based on the 25/26 Council Tax (Band D) equivalent rate of £2,059.82 per annum, the cost of implementing a 100 per cent discount per year for current mainstream foster carers would be £133,888.30.

It is noted that there may be some households within this cohort who

are already receiving some sort of discount, however £133,888.30 should be the maximum impact.”

Offset against that, current costs for Independent Fostering Agencies placements are some £1,956,500; the spend for the same number of children placed with in-house foster carers based on average placement costs would £796,920 per annum, an annual variance of £1,159,580 less per year compared to IFA placement costs.

“Introducing this discount on a pilot basis would be with a view to identifying if additional costs incurred by implementing this scheme would be offset by reducing the number of children and young people placed with Independent Fostering Agencies and increasing the number of children being cared for via in-house foster carers,” the report said.

It added: “This proposal will also have the added benefit of creating capacity for more young people looked after to remain close to their families, their homes, their schools, and communities thus retaining crucial local links and support networks.”

At the March meeting of Cabinet, members were asked to again back the scheme, with minor amendments to eligibility, which was supported by Cabinet.

gaming

Mega Man star Force Legacy collection is a nostalgic yet surprisingly fresh package that brings together a trio of Nintendo Ds-era action Rpgs and gives them a second life for modern audiences, and what stands out most immediately is how confidently it blends classic Mega Man sensibilities with a more experimental structure that leans heavily into story, exploration, and deck-based combat. Rather than the traditional sidescrolling platforming that defined earlier entries in the franchise, these games shift perspective into a grid-based, real-time battle system that feels like an evolution of the battle Network formula, rewarding quick thinking and strategic customization while still delivering the fastpaced intensity fans expect. the collection does a solid job of preserving that unique rhythm, and while some of the DS-specific features like touch controls and dual-screen navigation have been adapted

in ways that can feel a little clunky at times, the overall experience remains accessible and engaging, especially with quality-of-life improvements like smoother menus and optional enhancements that reduce some of the grind.

Narratively, the Star Force series distinguishes itself with a more character-driven and emotionally grounded story than many Mega Man titles, focusing on Geo Stelar’s growth from a withdrawn, grieving child into a confident hero, and that arc gives the games a sense of continuity and weight that makes playing through all entries in the collection feel meaningful rather than repetitive. The dialogue can occasionally veer into overly simple or predictable territory, but there’s a sincerity to it that works in its favor, especially when paired with the evolving relationships and the recurring theme of connection through technology. Visually, the games retain their bright, animeinspired aesthetic, and while they

don’t push modern hardware in any significant way, the cleanedup presentation ensures they still look charming rather than dated.

Where the collection may divide players is in its pacing and structure, as the mix of overworld navigation, random encounters, and mission-based progression can sometimes feel uneven, particularly for those who are more accustomed to straightforward action games. However, for players willing to engage with its systems, there’s a surprising amount of depth in customizing battle cards, forming strategies, and experimenting with different approaches to combat. The inclusion of multiple versions of each game, along with bonus content and extras, adds replay value and gives completionists plenty to dig into, even if not all of it feels essential.

Ultimately, this collection succeeds less as a simple nostalgia trip and more as a reminder of a moment when the Mega Man franchise was willing to take risks and explore new ideas, and while not every element has aged perfectly, the core experience remains compelling thanks to its distinctive gameplay loop and heartfelt storytelling. For longtime fans, it’s a welcome revival of a somewhat overlooked branch of the series, and for newcomers, it offers a chance to experience a different side of Mega Man that emphasizes strategy and narrative just as much as action.

The upcoming Super Mario Galaxy movie feels like a natural next step in Nintendo’s ongoing expansion into film, building on the colorful, fast-paced energy that audiences have come to associate with Mario while aiming for something more visually ambitious and emotionally expansive. Set against a backdrop of swirling galaxies, gravity-defying landscapes, and dreamlike cosmic environments, the film appears to trade the grounded whimsy of the Mushroom Kingdom for something more awe-inspiring and imaginative, giving the

story a sense of scale that matches its interstellar setting. Early impressions suggest a narrative that leans into themes of discovery, loneliness, and wonder, with Mario stepping slightly outside his usual comfort zone as he navigates unfamiliar worlds and encounters new allies and adversaries. The introduction of cosmic elements offers a chance for more experimental storytelling, potentially blending heartfelt moments with the playful humor and action sequences fans expect. Visually, the film is poised to be a standout, with vibrant colors, fluid animation,

and creative use of space likely to create sequences that feel both magical and dynamic. However, there is also a lingering question of whether the film can balance spectacle with substance, as previous adaptations have occasionally prioritized charm and nostalgia over deeper storytelling. If it succeeds, this could be a defining entry not just for Mario on the big screen, but for video game adaptations more broadly, demonstrating that even the most iconic and familiar characters can evolve in meaningful ways when placed in bold new settings.

Tech and Taff

Facebook’s throwing money about – but tidy, will it work?

Now then, butt.

You know things are getting a bit desperate in the tech world when a company the size of Facebook starts waving cash around like it’s a Friday night in Wind Street.

Three thousand dollars a month, they’re offering. That’s what Meta reckons it’ll take to lure big-name creators off TikTok and YouTube and back onto Facebook.

Three grand.

I’ve seen better offers shouted across a rugby club bar after closing time.

This new scheme — very fancy name, “Creator Fast Track” — is aimed at influencers with over a million followers elsewhere. The idea is simple enough: “Come post your videos on Facebook, and we’ll pay you for the trouble.”

But here’s the thing, mun — creators aren’t daft.

They go where the eyeballs are. And right now, the eyeballs are glued firmly to TikTok, with a cheeky side glance at YouTube. Facebook? That’s where your mam goes to argue about bin collections and share photos of cawl.

And fair play to her.

The big influencer managers are already saying the same thing. By the time you’ve filmed, edited, lit it properly and stuck a bit of polish on it, $200 a video barely covers the cost. You’d make more doing a sponsored post for a dodgy protein shake.

So who’s this really for?

Well — and here comes the professor bit — it’s for the smaller creators. The ones just coming up, the ones who’d happily take a

bit of extra cash and a push from the algorithm.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But let’s not kid ourselves this is going to bring the big stars flooding back. That ship sailed years ago, mun. Facebook had its moment. It was massive. It was everywhere. Then along came TikTok, like a lad turning up to five-a-side in brand new boots and scoring five goals in ten minutes.

Game over.

Now Meta’s trying to buy its way back into the match.

And look — it might work a little bit. Facebook’s still got billions of users. It’s not going anywhere. But it’s not where culture happens anymore. It’s where people check in, not where they hang out.

Bit like the local post office, really. Essential. Familiar. But you’re not going there for a good time.

So what’s the takeaway for us here in Pembrokeshire?

If you’re a local creator — someone filming down the docks, or doing food reviews in Tenby, or even explaining tech like yours truly — this could be worth a go. A few quid in your pocket, bit more reach, jobs a good’un.

But if Facebook thinks it’s going to out-TikTok TikTok just by chucking money at influencers… Achafi.

That’s not how this works.

You can’t buy cool, mun. You’ve got to build it.

And right now, Facebook’s trying to pay for something it used to have for free.

Tenby steams up in spectacular style as crowds flock to festival

tENby was transformed into a vibrant Victorian fantasy on saturday (Mar 21) as hundreds of visitors descended on the town for the annual steampunk Festival.

The highlight of the day came with the much-anticipated Peacock Parade, which saw elaborately dressed participants wind their way through Tenby’s narrow streets, drawing large crowds of spectators.

Residents and visitors lined the route, many stopping to take photos as performers in eye-catching costumes passed by. From brass goggles and top hats to military-inspired uniforms and elegant gowns, the outfits on display reflected the creativity and theatrical spirit of the steampunk scene.

Among the most striking sights were the towering pink flamingo creations, which rose high above the crowds and became an instant talking point. Musicians in period costume added to the atmosphere, playing lively tunes as they marched through the town.

Families were out in force, with

children and adults alike enjoying the spectacle. Many visitors had travelled from across Wales and beyond to attend the event, which has grown in popularity in recent years and is now firmly established as a key date in Tenby’s events calendar.

The Herald understands that local businesses also benefited from the influx of visitors, with cafés, pubs and shops seeing a steady flow of customers throughout the day.

In addition to the parade, a range of activities were taking place across the town, including markets, performances and themed entertainment centred around the De Valence Pavilion.

Organisers have worked to create an inclusive and welcoming event, with many people choosing to dress up while others simply come along to enjoy the unique atmosphere.

The festival continues on Sunday, with further events planned as Tenby remains firmly in the grip of steampunk fever for the weekend.

HOROSCOPES

the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary special on Disney+ feels less like a conventional retrospective and more like a warm, self-aware reunion that understands exactly what the show meant to its audience and why it still lingers in pop culture. Rather than leaning too heavily on nostalgia alone, it strikes a careful balance between celebration and reflection, giving longtime fans the comfort of revisiting familiar moments while also acknowledging how much both the cast and the viewers have grown since the series first aired.

What stands out most is the tone: it’s genuinely affectionate without becoming overly sentimental. the special revisits iconic clips, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and cultural milestones, but it doesn’t just repackage old material—it reframes it with hindsight. there’s a sense that everyone involved understands the strange, unique space the show occupied, bridging childhood escapism with the early days of celebrity culture in a way that feels almost impossible to replicate now. that awareness gives the special a surprising depth, elevating it beyond a simple highlight reel.

the pacing occasionally wavers, especially when it

lingers a bit too long on certain archival segments, but those moments are easy to forgive because of the emotional payoff. When the focus shifts to personal reflections, the special becomes far more compelling, offering glimpses into the pressures, joys, and unexpected legacy of the series. It’s in these quieter, more introspective moments that the anniversary celebration really earns its place, reminding viewers that Hannah Montana wasn’t just a show—it was a formative experience for a generation.

Visually, the production leans into a polished, modern documentary style while still preserving the bright, playful aesthetic associated with the original series. this contrast

works well, reinforcing the idea that while time has passed, the core spirit of the show remains intact. the editing choices, especially when blending past and present footage, are particularly effective at creating a sense of continuity.

ultimately, the special succeeds because it doesn’t try to overcomplicate what made Hannah Montana resonate in the first place. It celebrates the music, the humor, and the double-life fantasy, but it also acknowledges the real people behind it and the cultural moment it captured. For fans, it’s a satisfying and occasionally emotional return; for newer viewers, it offers a clear understanding of why the series became such a phenomenon.

VIRGO

A larger-than-life personality is coming into play in your life right now, and they will be making quite a splash. Whether they’re causing you to think in a new way or just challenging the status quo, they represent a significant amount of conflict in how you currently perceive the world (and yourself). Hang back until you feel comfortable with how they communicate. Watch their behavior with others for clues. You may get a peek under their mask and see if it’s all an act.

LIBRA

There’s an awful lot of energy coming your way today, most of it is positive and supportive, but some of it may be a bit contradictory. If someone directs negative energy toward you, encourage them to speak their mind and let their feelings hang in the air, and then let it go. You know what you did (or didn’t do), and there’s no sense in fanning the flames. Conflict makes people act in odd ways, and it’s okay if you don’t like it. Fortunately, it is rare in your life.

SCORPIO

Recent accomplishments have enabled you to put your feet up and relax for a while, and it’s been wonderful having less stress and pressure in your life. The trouble is that this relaxation is awfully seductive, and if you stay in this phase too long you’ll miss out on some amazing new experiences. So call upon every ounce of your self-discipline today and let the Universe know you’re reporting for duty. It’s ready to give you a life-altering assignment!

SAGITTARIUS

Just because a pot is on the back burner simmering on low heat doesn’t mean it isn’t still cooking. You may feel like you’re in a fog today, but things are happening in your subconscious. Big ideas are forming and they will make themselves known when the time is right. Just wait and see what develops. In the meantime, you can keep yourself busy with your latest romantic project. Invest in some new clothes or a way to create a brighter appearance.

CAPRICORN

Today could be full of signs and affirmations that you are on the right path despite what other people may say. Even if you feel unsure about the next steps, it’s all part of the process. Doubting yourself is absolutely normal, and it has given you the healthy skepticism to recognize a solid thing when you see it. And don’t be too rough on people who are putting pressure on you. They care about you and want you to succeed. They just haven’t figured out how to show it yet.

AQUARIUS

Over the past few weeks, you’ve been noticing some magnetism between two

Broad Haven volunteers secure ‘national asset’ status for nature reserve

A sMALL stretch of woodland and former opencast coal mine has been transformed into a nationally recognised biodiversity site, in a major first for Wales.

The Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve has been awarded ‘Naturfa’ status, becoming the first communitymanaged site in Wales to receive the designation.

The recognition, confirmed by Deputy First Minister Huw IrrancaDavies, classifies the reserve as an “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure” (OECM). This means the volunteer-led work of the Support the Boardwalk group will now contribute directly to Wales’ 30×30 target – the global commitment to protect 30% of land, freshwater and sea for nature by 2030.

In a further boost, the site has also been included in the National Forest for Wales, recognising its role in strengthening a connected network of woodlands and habitats across the country.

Once a simple local walkway, the Slash Pond has developed into a thriving wildlife haven. The reserve now supports a wide range of species, including critically endangered European eels, otters, ten species of bat, and more than fifty species of birds, alongside diverse aquatic plants and insects.

Huw Irranca-Davies said: “These special places are a testament to the care and dedication of people working on the ground – securing a legacy for future generations. Nature can only thrive where habitats are resilient, protected and effectively managed.”

The new status is expected to unlock future funding opportunities, supporting

long-term plans for maintaining the boardwalk, monitoring biodiversity and water quality, installing new signage, and expanding environmental education work with Broad Haven Primary School and the wider Havens community.

Andy Drumm, a volunteer with Support the Boardwalk, said: “We’ve always known how special the Slash Pond is, but this recognition puts it firmly on the map as a national asset. It’s a tribute to years of hard work and

shows that local communities can lead the way in tackling the nature crisis.”

To mark the achievement, a Spring Family Fun Day will take place on Friday (May 9) from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Slash Pond car park.

The event will feature guided nature walks, pond dipping, a wildlife treasure trail, live music, and family activities including crafts and face painting.

The official unveiling of the Naturfa certificate and new reserve branding will also take place, alongside the launch of a new book, From Culm to Calm: A History of the Slash Pond by local author David Meanwell.

Karen Riggs, a long-time volunteer, said: “This achievement belongs to everyone in Broad Haven who has supported the site over the years. We’re not just celebrating a new title –we’re celebrating what our community has built together.”

The day will also see the installation of new benches at the observation decks and the launch of a floating island habitat to support wildfowl and other bird species. Visitors will also be invited to share feedback on plans for an improved picnic area designed to withstand local flooding.

Naturfa is a Welsh Government initiative recognising areas outside traditional protected sites, such as SSSIs, that are managed in ways which deliver long-term benefits for biodiversity.

The Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve is managed by the Support the Boardwalk group in partnership with The Havens Community Council, and is maintained entirely by volunteers. Further information and updates are available via the Support the Boardwalk Facebook page.

OpiniOn: AttAck On Jewish Ambul Ances: when hAtred burns, nObOdy wins

tHE IMAgEs from golders green this week should stop all of us in our tracks.

Ambulances, not symbols of power, not political offices, not even property tied to profit, but ambulances, vehicles dedicated to saving lives, were set alight in the early hours of the morning. Oxygen tanks exploded. Families were forced from their homes. Volunteers who give their time freely to help others were targeted.

If that does not cross a line, then we have lost sight of where the line is.

Police are treating the attack as antisemitic. It is hard to see it as anything else. And it should be said plainly: there is no cause, no grievance, no anger about events abroad that can justify targeting Jewish communities in Britain, least of all those providing emergency care.

But if we are honest, this did not come out of nowhere.

Across Europe, and yes, in parts of the UK, tensions linked to the IsraelGaza conflict have been bleeding into our streets, our conversations, and increasingly, our behaviour. What begins as outrage about war risks mutating into something darker: collective blame, dehumanisation, and eventually violence.

We have seen this pattern before in history. It never ends well.

At the same time, we cannot pretend that outrage only travels in one direction. Reports from the West Bank of settler violence, homes

torched, communities terrorised, are deeply disturbing. Innocent people are suffering there too, often with little protection and even less accountability. These are different situations, with different causes and different responsibilities. But they are connected by one dangerous thread: the erosion of empathy.

When people stop seeing individuals

and start seeing “sides”, everything becomes easier to justify.

Burning an ambulance becomes, in someone’s mind, an act of resistance.

Torching a home becomes, in someone else’s mind, a matter of security.

Both are wrong.

And both depend on the same lie, that the person on the receiving end somehow deserves it.

Britain now faces a choice.

We can import the hatred of a conflict thousands of miles away, allowing it to fracture communities that have lived side by side for generations. Or we can draw a firm line and say: not here.

That means something uncomfortable for everyone.

Those who stand with Israel must be willing to speak out when Palestinians are attacked unjustly. Silence in those moments undermines credibility and fuels resentment.

Those who stand with Palestine must be equally clear in condemning antisemitism, not hedging it, not contextualising it, not quietly ignoring it when it appears on “their side”.

Because once you start excusing hatred when it suits your position, you are no longer arguing for justice, you are just choosing your victims.

The attack in Golders Green is not just about four burnt-out vehicles. It is a warning sign.

If ambulances are fair game, what is not?

Britain has long prided itself on being a place where different communities can live together, disagree, protest, and still recognise each other’s humanity. That tradition is under strain.

The truth is, anger is easy. Outrage is easy. Social media makes both effortless.

Restraint is harder. Nuance is harder. Refusing to hate, especially when confronted with images of suffering, is one of the hardest things we can ask of people.

But it is also the only thing that prevents society from sliding into something far worse.

The flames in Golders Green were put out.

What matters now is whether we put out the ones that lit them

‘It

weren’t the wind, mate — it were you’

Oi, stephen seagull ‘ere, perched up by Milford Docks, watchin’ the tide roll in and the humans flap about like gulls fightin’ over a

single chip.

Now then… I see Huw Edwards has popped his head back up again. Not to apologise, mind.

No — he’s back to tell us how it all sort of… happened to him.

SQUAWK.

Funny that. Because down here on the docks, I see plenty of things happen. Storms happen. Wind happens. A careless tourist droppin’ their chips — that definitely happens.

But what you did, mush? That didn’t just “happen”.

That was you.

There’s a lot of talk from him about “mental illness” — serious stuff, no doubt. Stephen’s not mockin’ that. Plenty of people struggle, and fair play to anyone who gets help.

But here’s where it don’t sit right.

You don’t get to lean on that as a shield while skippin’ past the people who were actually hurt.

Because while he talks about things “falling apart”, there are others whose lives didn’t just fall apart — they were torn open. And not by bad

luck or fate, but by choices.

That’s the bit that keeps gettin’ lost in all the careful words.

And then there’s the money.

Over £200,000 of licence fee cash, taken while he was suspended — all while the truth was circlin’ overhead like a hungry gull.

Not a penny paid back.

SQUAWK.

That’s a lot of chips to keep hold of while complainin’ about how hard done by you are.

Because that’s the other thing, see. Instead of takin’ responsibility, he’s havin’ a flap about a television drama. Worried it won’t “reflect reality”. Upset that nobody asked him for input.

Down here, we’ve got a simple rule: if you’ve made the mess, you don’t get to direct the clean-up.

And you definitely don’t get to rewrite the story to make yourself look like the one who got pecked.

That’s what sticks in the throat.

This idea that somehow, after everything, he’s the victim in all this.

SQUAWK.

Not havin’ that.

You don’t get to create victims, then quietly step into the same role when it suits you.

That’s not how it works. Not on the docks, and not anywhere else.

Now he says he’s workin’ on his own account of what happened. A slow process, apparently.

Well, take your time, butt.

Maybe somewhere along the way, between all the careful phrasing and soft landings, you’ll stumble across the bit where you simply say: “I did this.”

Stephen won’t be holdin’ his breath.

Still — tide’s turnin’, and I’ve got half an eye on a pasty near the benches. Priorities.

Just remember this, yeah: Some things in life are accidents. And some things are choices. And no amount of clever words can ever quite cover the difference. SQUAWK.

Our oldest friendship just got older

IF yOu’VE ever looked into your dog’s eyes and thought, “you just get me” — it turns out that bond goes back much further than anyone realised.

A remarkable scientific discovery has revealed that dogs were living closely alongside humans in Britain around 15,000 years ago — thousands of years earlier than previously believed.

The evidence comes from a tiny fragment of jawbone found in a cave in Somerset. For decades, it sat unnoticed in a museum drawer. But when researchers finally analysed its DNA, they realised something extraordinary: it belonged to one of the earliest known domesticated dogs.

That pushes back the timeline of when wolves first became our companions by around 5,000 years.

From camp followers to companions

The story of how dogs became “man’s best friend” is as fascinating as it is familiar.

At the end of the last Ice Age, wolves began lingering around human camps, scavenging scraps. The least aggressive animals thrived — and over generations, they became tamer, more tolerant, and more useful.

Humans, in turn, began to rely on them.

Dogs helped with hunting, guarding, and tracking. They weren’t just hanging around — they were working partners.

Over time, selective breeding shaped them into the animals we know today: shorter snouts, smaller teeth, and an incredible variety of shapes and sizes.

A bond that hasn’t changed

What’s perhaps most striking isn’t just how early this relationship began — it’s how close it already was.

Scientists found that these early dogs were eating the same food as humans, suggesting they weren’t just nearby — they

were part of the group.

In some ancient sites across Europe, dogs were even buried alongside people, a powerful sign of emotional connection. Sound familiar?

It should. Because 15,000 years later, not much has changed.

Your dog still watches you while you eat. Still follows you from room to room. Still seems to understand your mood before anyone else does.

MORE tHAN just pEts

Modern dogs — whether

they’re working sheepdogs in Pembrokeshire fields or curled up on the sofa — all trace their ancestry back to these early companions. And that says something important.

Dogs aren’t just animals we domesticated. They’re a species that evolved with us.

That look your dog gives you? The loyalty, the trust, the sense they’re part of your family?

It’s not new.

It’s 15,000 years in the making.

Pembrokeshire College student crowned national champion in hair competition

A pEMbROkEsHIRE

cOLLEgE student has been crowned a national champion after winning first place in a prestigious uk hairdressing competition.

Marieme, a Level 3 Hairdressing learner, took the top spot in the Textured Hair category after being selected from more than 3,300 applicants. She went on to compete against the final six contestants in the national finals, where she impressed judges to secure first place.

The achievement marks a significant milestone for both Marieme and the college, highlighting the high standard of training and talent emerging from Pembrokeshire.

Staff at the college said they were “absolutely thrilled” with the result, praising Marieme’s hard work, creativity and dedication throughout the competition.

The success did not stop there, with two other Pembrokeshire College learners also reaching the national finals.Dylan was named among the top six in the Barbering category, while Laura achieved the same

category.

in the Avant

Their performances contributed to what the college described as a “fantastic day” for its hairdressing department.

The results underline the strength of vocational training in west Wales and the growing reputation of Pembrokeshire College in national competitions.

School’s gold award for Armed Forces support

pRENDERgAst cp school in Haverfordwest has been awarded the highest possible recognition for its support of Armed Forces families.

The school has secured Gold Armed Forces Friendly School Cymru status, marking

a significant milestone in its ongoing work to support pupils from Service backgrounds.

Headteacher Louise John said the achievement reflects a strong, whole-school commitment to ensuring Service children feel supported and able to succeed.

She said: “We are committed to ensuring Service pupils feel welcomed, understood and able to thrive.

“We recognise the unique experiences of children from Service families and have worked hard to embed that understanding across the school.

“Our approach focuses on early identification, strong communication with families, and consistent pastoral support.

“Achieving Gold status recognises the dedication of our staff and the inclusive practices already in place, while reinforcing our ongoing commitment to supporting Service children’s wellbeing, sense of belonging, and educational success.”

The Gold award, delivered through Supporting Service Children in Education Cymru (SSCE Cymru), requires schools to demonstrate strong and sustained support for Service children. This includes creating a positive environment where pupils can share their experiences and strengthening links with the wider Armed

Forces community.

Prendergast CP School previously achieved both Bronze and Silver awards before progressing to the top level.

Cllr Simon Hancock, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, praised the achievement.

He said: “I would like to congratulate Prendergast School on achieving the coveted Gold Armed Forces Friendly School Cymru status.

“From my visits, it is clear the school actively engages with the Armed Forces community and provides a positive and supportive environment for Service children.”

Cllr Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, added: “This is fantastic recognition of the ongoing work at Prendergast School.

“It highlights the importance of supporting Armed Forces families and sets a strong example of best practice. Well done to everyone involved.”

£3 million secured to continue Welsh sheep genetics programme

tHE WELsH gOVERNMENt has confirmed £3 million in funding over the next three financial years to continue the Welsh sheep genetics programme (Wsgp), helping Welsh sheep farmers improve efficiency, productivity and environmental performance.

From April 2026, Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) will lead Phase 2 of the programme, marking a significant next step in supporting farmers to make smarter, evidence-based breeding decisions.

The new phase will provide transition support for existing participants while also opening the programme to new flocks. Farmers will receive practical, technical and financial support to make use of Genomic Estimated Breeding Values, advanced genetic tools designed to help them make better-informed decisions at farm level. The data collected will also strengthen industry benchmarking and support longer-term business planning.

Phase 2 will also include the development of robust key performance indicators, tailored farm-level action plans, and an ambitious portfolio of research projects aimed at driving innovation across the sector.

The programme’s objectives

are closely aligned with the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which launched on January 1, 2026, as well as HCC’s Vision 2030, reflecting a shared commitment to a productive, sustainable and competitive Welsh red meat industry.

Phase 1 of the WSGP, delivered by Farming Connect, comes to an end on March 31, 2026. Since launching in 2023, the programme has achieved significant progress, including introducing genomics into the sheep sector for the first time anywhere in the world.

It has also generated 70,000 genotypes across Tier 1 and Tier 2 flocks on the AHDBSignet database since 2023,

the highest number recorded there, while developing two major research strands focused on breeding for worm resistance and reduced methane emissions.

The programme has worked in close partnership with leading specialists, including Innovis and AHDB-Signet, and has delivered measurable genetic gains and improvements in key performance traits across participating flocks.

The investment underlines the Welsh Government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the production of high-quality, sustainable PGI Welsh Lamb.

Deputy First Minister for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw IrrancaDavies, said: “This funding demonstrates our commitment to supporting farmers to build profitable, resilient businesses while delivering on our climate ambitions. The Welsh Sheep Genetics Programme shows what is possible when cutting-edge science meets the proud tradition of Welsh livestock farming. By helping farmers breed healthier, more productive flocks with a lower environmental footprint, we are strengthening food security and safeguarding our rural economy for the long term.”

José Peralta, Chief Executive of Hybu Cig Cymru, said: “The progress achieved to date reflects the commitment of farmers across Wales, the work of the Farming Connect team, and the continued financial support of the Welsh Government. Together, these provide a strong platform for the next phase.

“This next step directly supports a core priority in our new strategic plan: to develop and lead the implementation of initiatives that improve economic and environmental sustainability. We look forward to working closely with farmers to ensure they have the tools, insights and support needed to thrive in the years ahead.”

Wales sees progress in bovine TB fight as debate over badger role continues

WALEs is making steady progress in tackling bovine tuberculosis (btb), according to the Welsh government, but a longrunning debate over the role of badgers in spreading the disease continues to divide opinion.

In a written statement issued this week, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, HUW IRRANCA-DAVIES, outlined what he described as “clear progress” in

Wales’s eradication programme.

Latest figures show a sustained long-term decrease in new TB herd incidents, which ministers say reflects the success of a science-led, cattlefocused strategy. The approach has prioritised enhanced testing, stricter movement controls, and improved biosecurity on farms.

The Welsh Government says more sensitive testing methods are helping to identify infection earlier, while efforts are also being made to reduce

the number of cattle slaughtered unnecessarily.

However, the issue of whether wildlife—particularly badgers—plays a significant role in spreading the disease remains contentious.

Farmers and government under pressure

Bovine TB continues to have a major economic and emotional impact on Welsh farming communities, particularly in rural areas of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

reductions in England cannot be attributed solely to killing badgers.

It said: “The analysis behind this figure cannot separate the effects of culling from other measures such as enhanced cattle testing, stricter movement controls, and improved biosecurity.”

The organisation maintains that bovine TB is primarily a cattle disease, with most transmission occurring between cattle rather than from wildlife.

Scientific disagreement remains

The role of badgers in spreading bTB has been the subject of decades of scientific study, with no universal consensus.

Some studies have suggested that badgers can act as a reservoir for the disease, potentially infecting cattle through environmental contamination.

Others, including research cited by animal welfare groups, argue that the impact of badgers on overall transmission rates is limited compared to cattle-to-cattle spread.

The Welsh Government’s own Technical Advisory Group has previously stated that a combination of measures may be needed, including consideration of wildlife alongside cattle controls.

Farmers’ unions have long argued that wildlife reservoirs, including badgers, contribute to the persistence of the disease, and have called for stronger intervention measures.

In England, controversial badger culling programmes have been rolled out over the past decade, with UK Government figures suggesting significant reductions in TB rates in some areas.

But those claims remain disputed, with critics arguing that the evidence is far from clear-cut.

Badger Trust backs Welsh approach

Responding to the Welsh Government’s latest statement, the Badger Trust welcomed the direction of policy in Wales and urged ministers to maintain a focus on cattle-based controls.

The charity said the latest statistics demonstrated that Wales’s approach was delivering “real results” and represented a clear improvement on policy seen elsewhere.

Chief Executive NIGEL PALMER said: “The latest TB statistics show sustained long-term decreases in new TB herd incidents, demonstrating that Wales’s science-led, cattle-focused approach is delivering real results.”

The Trust also questioned the effectiveness of culling, arguing that

However, Wales has so far resisted introducing widespread badger culling, instead focusing on vaccination trials and tighter cattle measures.

Calls for clarity and consistency

The Badger Trust also raised concerns about international standards, arguing that requirements for Officially TB Free status focus primarily on bovine species rather than wildlife.

It warned that policies targeting badgers risk diverting attention and resources away from more effective cattle-based interventions.

At the same time, farming representatives continue to press for stronger action, arguing that without addressing all potential sources of infection, eradication efforts could stall.

A long road ahead

While the latest figures suggest progress, the Welsh Government has acknowledged that completely eradicating bovine TB remains a longterm challenge.

For now, Wales appears set to continue its cautious, evidence-led approach—balancing animal health, farming livelihoods, and wildlife protection.

But with pressure mounting from both sides of the debate, the question of how far to go in tackling the disease is unlikely to be settled any time soon.

Plans to rebuild arson hit building at farm with one of largest sheep flocks in Wales

A CALL to rebuild a firedamaged pembrokeshire farm building, as a family home to help manage one of the largest sheep flocks in Wales, has been submitted to the national park.

In the application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, D B Davies and Sons through agent Harries Planning Design Management, with a supporting statement by Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd, seek permission to renovate an existing fire-damaged dwelling, together with the conversion and extension of outbuildings to form an agricultural worker’s dwelling at Mynydd Du, Rosebush.

The supporting statement through Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd says Mynydd Du is part of a wider holding which includes Eisteddfa Fawr and land around the village of Brynberian, the farms approximately six km apart, with land under control of the applicant amounting to some 1,500 acres, with a further 3,000 acres of Preseli mountain common land also used; the land accommodating a 5,000-

ewe flock with 10 suckler cows and followers.

It says DB Davies & Sons Unlimited, has five partners: the two Davies brothers, Berian and Ken; their wives; and Berian’s son, Dyfed.

Berian and Ken are in their late 70s, with most of the heavy work on the farm is undertaken by Dyfed.

Dyfed and his wife Megan are first language Welsh speakers, living some 10 km away in Nevern, while Berian and Ken, and their wives, live at Eisteddfa Fawr, Brynberian.

The dwelling at Mynydd Du, where most sheep are now wintered, is structurally sound and repairable but has been unoccupied since 1990, and was subject to arson circa 2013, the statement says.

It says Dyfed works fulltime on the farm, alone with increasing frequency as the older business members are above retirement age, working “long hours out of necessity to undertake all the work associated with one of

the publication last week of the position paper from the bovine tb Eradication programme board has once again brought the issue of bovine tb in Wales into sharp focus. the report makes it clear that a “step change” in urgency, focus and resources will be needed if Wales is to have any realistic chance of meeting its target of achieving Officially TB Free status by 2041.

For many farmers, this will come as little surprise. Bovine TB has been a constant pressure on Welsh farms for years, bringing financial strain, movement restrictions and the emotional difficulty of losing animals that farmers have invested years of work into breeding and rearing.

the largest flocks of sheep in Wales”.

“His working hours are extended further due to the fact that he lives remote (6kms) from the main block of land at Tyllosg, where Mynydd Du is situated in the centre of the farm. Travelling back and forth several times each day during lambing and other times during poor weather, to check on flock welfare is an arduous task and can be dangerous, particularly if driving when tired during inclement conditions.”

The statement adds: “The application seeks permission to repair the fire damaged dwelling at Mynydd Du and bring it back to serve a useful purpose to enable Dyfed to closely monitor the ewes, not only at lambing, but throughout the year when the flock is grazing on the adjacent common land.

“It will also enable Dyfed to be with his partner and young child on a more regular basis than simply at the end of a long day when he is away from their current home, tending the sheep at Mynydd Du.”

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

that the economic sustainability of family farms must be considered alongside disease control is particularly important. TB policies do not exist in isolation. They have real consequences for businesses, rural communities and the wellbeing of farmers who are already working under immense pressure.

The work of the TB Technical Advisory Group and the Programme Board has played an important role in shaping the discussion in recent years. Their independent advice, informed by science and engagement with the industry, provides a valuable platform for developing practical and effective policies.

What the Position Paper does provide is a clear acknowledgement that current progress simply is not enough. If Wales is serious about eradicating TB, then the approach must evolve and accelerate.

A key element within the paper is the emphasis on a more holistic, evidencebased strategy. TB is a complicated disease and tackling it requires more than a single policy lever. Effective progress will rely on a combination of measures that work together - strong disease controls, practical onfarm measures and policies that reflect the realities facing farming businesses.

The recognition

Another key point raised in the paper is the need for proper resourcing. Eradicating a disease as complex as bovine TB cannot be done without the necessary capacity within government. Clear communication, wellresourced departments and a robust long-term plan will all be essential if progress is to be made.

Looking ahead, the next Welsh Government will need to take the findings of this Position Paper seriously. Farmers need to see a renewed determination to tackle TB and move Wales closer to the goal of eradication. For those living with the consequences of the disease, progress cannot come soon enough.

All-new MGS9 PHEV adds value and style to the 7-seat large SUV sector

tHE new Mgs9 pHEV is the first 7-seat, large SUV from Mg and offers a spacious and versatile interior with three rows of seats. When the third-row seats are folded away to use the car with five seats, there is a generous 1026-litres of bootspace.

Its multi award-winning plugin hybrid powertrain combines a 1.5-litre petrol turbo engine and a long-range 24.7kWh battery with an electric-only range of up to 62 miles*.

There is a choice of two trim levels, Comfort and Premium, each providing an extensive list of luxury features as standard, such as 20-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting, heated seats, a panoramic roof and 12.3” infotainment and 12.3” driver display, with on-the-road prices from £34,205 and £36,945 respectively.

“Offering more space and versatility than the MG HS PHEV, and the bonus of 7-seat, the MGS9 PHEV will be on the shortlist of everyone looking for a large SUV,” said David Allison, MG UK’s Director of Product and Planning.

“As the most versatile MG ever, and the first with seven seats, the MGS9 PHEV really is a car for those who want an abundance of space without compromising on comfort and luxury, and the convenience of proven plug-in hybrid technology with more than enough all-electric range for most daily routines,” he added.

The MGS9 PHEV is available to order now with the first cars arriving in MG showrooms in late March and is supported by a 7-year/80,000 miles warranty, an extensive UK dealer network as well as MG Assistance.

1.2

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The new BMW i3. Second model of the Neue Klasse 18/03/2026

the bMW 3 series is the very essence of the bMW brand and, for five decades, has stood for consistent progress, distinctive design and sheer driving pleasure.

Arriving as the second model of the Neue klasse, the new allelectric bMW i3 builds upon this legacy while taking a technological quantum leap into a new era.

Raising the benchmark for allelectric range, the new BMW i3 is capable of covering of up to 900 km1 (in accordance with the WLTP test cycle) on a single charge thanks to the innovations of the Neue Klasse. Simultaneously, these technologies are harnessed to further elevate the class-leading driving dynamics that the BMW 3 Series is renowned for. Handling is precise, assured and effortless thanks to the Heart of Joy superbrain – responsible for all driving functions. It combines with three additional high-performance computers – covering automated driving, infotainment and comfortenhancing functions – culminating in a new digital nervous system, developed completely in-house by BMW. These superbrains offer up to 20 times more processing power than those utilised by previous BMW models.

The BMW i3 launches with the 50 xDrive model variant, which is powered by two electric motors which drive the front and rear axle to develop a combined system output of 469 hp1 and 645 Nm1 of torque. Alongside its impressive range, the BMW i3 can be charged at speeds of up to 400 kW at an 800-volt DC charging station to drastically reduce charging times. The result is up to 400 km1 in just 10 minutes. This capability is enabled by sixth-generation BMW

eDrive technology, which teams highly efficient electric motors, 800-volt technology and new highvoltage batteries with energy-dense cylindrical cells.

Instantly recognisable as a 3 Series, the BMW i3 offers a modern interpretation of hallmark BMW Saloon design with its new 2.5-box silhouette. Reduced to the essentials, its design is characterised by a long wheelbase with short overhangs, precise lines and a sloping roofline. Below which sits expansive glass surfaces to flood the cabin with natural light. The frontend is sculpted in a sporty sharknose design and centred around a reimagined horizontal kidney grille, where twin headlights merge with an innovative light signature for a powerful appearance. The side profile features pronounced wheel arches, retractable flush door handles that extend automatically, and bold lines that flow to the rear. Here,

sweeping horizontal taillights in an L-shaped design flank the refreshed BMW roundel and extend far into the shoulder area to emphasise the vehicle’s wide stance. Eleven exterior paint finishes are available from launch, including new M Le Castellet Blue – exclusive to the BMW i3. Inside, there is an immediate sense of space, thanks to the BMW i3’s purpose-built all-electric architecture. Sporty and contemporary, the cockpit is optimised around the driver. Positioned front and centre is the BMW Panoramic iDrive, which consists of four key components: the BMW Panoramic Vision display, the optional BMW 3D Head-Up Display, the driver-oriented Central Display and the new multi-function steering wheel – helping drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Stylish and sustainable materials are used for the upholstery, including Econeer seat covers, which consist of

a recyclable textile composite made from 100 per cent recycled polyester. Customers will be able to customise the interior and exterior of their BMW i3 with different trim levels, including M Sport, following its success within the UK market.

The new BMW i3 is equipped with a comprehensive portfolio of driver and parking assistance systems, which operate in synergy with the driver to provide increased safety and convenience for everyday driving. This includes Soft-Stop, offering the smoothest stopping process in BMW history.

With the new BMW i3, a holistic approach was implemented towards sustainability, with a focus on decarbonisation along the entire life cycle – from product development, supply chain to production and use phase. The result, depending on the drive variant, annual mileage and generation of the electricity used for charging, is an overall carbon footprint similar to a comparable model with an internal combustion engine2 after just 1–2 years of use.

The new BMW i3 will be built at the home of BMW Group, Plant Munich, which has been producing premium vehicles for over a century. Over the last four years, the production plant has seen significant modernisation with the construction of a new body shop, cutting-edge assembly facility and logistics space. Now in its final stages of expansion, Plant Munich will commence BMW i3 production in August 2026, with first UK customer deliveries expected in autumn. A year later, Munich’s production portfolio will switch exclusively to fully electric vehicles of the Neue Klasse.

Further information, including UK pricing and detailed model specifications will follow in due course.

205-unit storage site submitted to planners

A cALL to allow a pembrokeshire farm to keep a storage facility for more than 200 caravans, boats, cars and farm machines as a form of diversification has been submitted to county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr & Mrs Davies,

through agent A.D Architectural Design Consultants Ltd, seek retrospective permission for a farm diversification scheme to accommodate the storage of caravans, boats, cars and farm machinery in four of eight

agricultural sheds and on hardstanding concrete courtyards at Froghall Farm, Spittal.

The works were completed back in 2019.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “At present, four of the eight shed structures on the site form part of the caravan and boat storage scheme, with

additional touring caravans stored externally on the concrete courtyards.”

It said the storage provision was split as follows: Shed 1 – farm workshop, and 30 caravans, motorhomes, boats & cars; shed 2 – 16 caravans; shed 3 – 28 caravans, motorhomes, boats & cars – 28; shed 8 – cubicle shed, 11 units of farm machines, motorhomes & caravans; courtyard storage of 120 touring caravans, for an overall storage of 205 units.

The statement added: “It would take place in an accessible location, would incorporate sustainable transport and accessibility principles and would not result in a detrimental impact on highway safety or in traffic exceeding the capacity of the highway network; access road is a no-through road with no increase in traffic due to the nature of development.

“There won’t be a constant stream/flow of traffic as the site’s used for storage. Our client offers a towing service to sites in and around Pembrokeshire, which is used by 45 per cent of their customers, who are unable or prefer not to tow themselves. This gives our client control over the flow of traffic.”

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

Wolfscastle spa earns prestigious AA recognition

WOLF sc A st LE

cOuNtRy HOtEL and spa in pembrokeshire is celebrating national recognition after its luxury spa was included in the prestigious AA Recommended spa Awards.

The accolade highlights the hotel’s commitment to delivering high-quality wellbeing

experiences, exceptional service, and first-class facilities.

The AA Recommended Spa status is awarded to venues that provide an outstanding guest experience, combining professional expertise, premium treatments, and a relaxing environment. The recognition places Wolfscastle among a

select group of leading spa destinations across the UK.

Grace, Levi and Bethan, fulltime spa therapists at the awardwinning Wolfscastle Spa.

Hot stone massage in the Wolfscastle Country Hotel & Spa treatment room.

The spa, which has been open for nine years, has established itself as one of Pembrokeshire’s top wellness destinations, welcoming both hotel guests and day visitors seeking relaxation in a tranquil countryside setting.

Facilities include hydrotherapy experiences, thermal suites, and dedicated relaxation areas, alongside a wide range of luxury treatments designed to help guests unwind and recharge.

Bethan, Spa Manager at Wolfscastle Country Hotel & Spa, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be recognised by

the AA as a Recommended Spa. The team here work really hard to make sure every guest feels relaxed, welcomed and properly looked after from the moment they arrive.

“To receive this recognition is very special for us and reflects the care and effort our therapists put into every treatment.”

The award further strengthens the hotel’s reputation as one of West Wales’ leading hospitality destinations, offering awardwinning dining, boutique accommodation, and premium wellness experiences.

Guests can enjoy spa days, overnight breaks, and tailored treatments throughout the year.

For more information or to book, visit www.wolfscastle. com.

The hotel is also marking a significant milestone this year, with owner Andrew Stirling celebrating 50 years at the helm.

Pembroke South Quay boat shed expansion plans submitted

A pADDLEbOARDINg and canoeing company’s call for an extension to a boat shed at pembroke’s south quay, below its historic castle, has been submitted to county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, G Booth of Paddle West CIC, through agent James Dwyer Associates, seeks permission for an extension to the stone-built boathouse, adjacent to the cliff on

South Quay fronting the Mill Pond, Pembroke.

A supporting statement says: “It is intended to erect a single storey ‘lean-to’ building, or ‘shed’ for the storage of boats, such as canoes and kayaks, and related equipment, on a vacant space adjacent to the existing stone-built boathouse.”

It adds: “The boathouse and the intended adjacent boat storage shed is located, as is to be expected, in close proximity to water, the Mill Pond. The Mill Pond is the main area of activity for Paddle West, a Community Interest Company, providing boating activities, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding, frequently for young people and families.”

It goes on to say: “It is intended that the structure would be lightweight,

erected on the exiting hard standing. The ‘shed’ would be used for the storage of boats and related equipment.”

With regard to the historic setting, it adds: “Although the stone-built boathouse appears not to be listed, it is recognised that the walls above are listed and together they are a piece.

“Accordingly, through form and external materials proposed, timber cladding and profile sheet roofing, the aim is to ensure that the structure would be subservient and muted and not detract or compete with the visual aesthetic of the boathouse or historic walls. In effect the addition would blend into the background.”

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

The boathouse is sited near to the new Henry Tudor Centre in South Quay, which is due to open in Spring 2027.

The centre, expected to receive around 30,000 visitors a year, will tell the story of Henry Tudor, son of Pembroke, his Welsh ancestry and his impact on our national story, Welsh culture and our wider British heritage.

The restored derelict South Quay buildings will also house a new library and community café, and a healthcare, social services and supported employment facility in the adjoining premises.

Rosemarket Dawn Till Dusk golf club 18-hole plans lodged

A cALL to extend a longestablished pembrokeshire golf club, bringing it up to a full 18 holes, has been submitted to county planners.

In the application, Mr and Mrs Young, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, seek a change of use of land adjoining the Dawn Till Dusk Golf Club, Furze Hill Farm, Bastleford Road, Rosemarket, to form an extension to the existing golf course, along with

landscaping and associated works.

A supporting statement through the agent says: “The application seeks full planning permission for the enlargement of the existing golf course to provide an additional six holes, to provide a total of 18 holes.

“The proposal would involve minor landscaping works to the fields and

boundaries and the creation of a small number of ponds and bunkers. The extension would be located on land to the west of Furze Hill Farm and on the opposite side of the road to the existing golf course and clubhouse.

“An altered access to the land parcel is proposed as part of this application, which would provide an improved route for users crossing the public highway to avoid conflict with movements at the main entrance.

“The application site exceeds 1ha and therefore the proposal is considered major development necessitating a Pre-Application Consultation prior to formally submitting the planning application to the Local Planning Authority.”

It adds: “The existing golf course has operated in excess of 30 years and is popular with both visitors and locals. Club membership currently stands at approximately 350 and there is demand for enhancing the provisions of the course.

“The applicants’ sons have recently increased their involvement in the enterprise and in recent years wet winter months have necessitated the closure of the course, or parts of it, due to the ground becoming waterlogged, primarily due to the flat nature of the existing course.

“The extension would provide variation to the terrain, providing, dryer conditions, as well as the ability to alternate between the existing and proposed to maintain use, enhancing the viability of the enterprise.”

The application will be considered by Pembrokeshire County Council planners at a later date.

Paper petition launched in Withybush hospital campaign

REsIDENts across pembrokeshire can now back the campaign to protect services at Withybush Hospital by signing a paper petition available in council offices across the county.

The initiative has been introduced to ensure those who are digitally excluded –including older residents and people without reliable internet access – are still able to have their say.

The petition, originally launched online by local resident Ajay Owens, has already attracted more than 11,000 signatures. Campaigners say the introduction of paper copies will help ensure the final total reflects the views of the whole community.

suppORt gAtHERs pAcE

Local Senedd Members Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz, who are supporting the campaign, said it was vital that every voice is heard.

The Preseli Pembrokeshire MS, PAUL DAVIES said: “We have taken significant steps to highlight the importance of protecting services at Withybush Hospital, including gathering evidence from staff, patients and residents, and raising concerns with health leaders. It is vital that people continue to share their experiences of why local services matter.”

SAMUEL KURTZ MS added: “The community has come together before to oppose cuts to Withybush, and once again the community are showing they will not accept the closure of services at Withybush lying down. We will stand beside them every step of the way until this decision is overturned.”

Both Members have formally requested that the petition be debated in the Senedd before its dissolution, in a bid to ensure Pembrokeshire residents’

concerns are considered at the highest level.

RuRAL cARE cONcERNs

Campaigners argue that maintaining services at Withybush Hospital is critical for patient safety, timely emergency care, and supporting rural communities, where travel times to alternative hospitals can be significantly longer.

Residents wishing to sign the petition can do so at their local town or community council office during normal opening hours.

Ajay Owens said: “I am incredibly heartened by the support from our local town halls and businesses. This petition is about giving every resident in Pembrokeshire a voice, and having these physical locations available ensures that everyone, regardless of their access to the internet, can stand up for what matters to our community and share their concerns.”

WHERE tO sIgN

Paper copies of the petition are currently available at locations including Fishguard and Goodwick Town Hall, Haverfordwest Town Council at the Old Wool Market, Milford Haven Cemetery

Lodge, Narberth Community Library, Newport Town Council, Pembroke Town Hall, Pembroke Dock Town Council, and across Saundersfoot via local distribution.

Opening times vary depending on location.

RCN Wales appoints Nicola Williams as Executive Director

NIcOLA WILLIAMs will take up the role in April, bringing more than three decades of experience in nursing and senior leadership.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced the appointment of Nicola Williams as its new Executive Director for Wales.

She joins the organisation from Velindre University NHS Trust, where she currently serves as Executive Director for Nursing, Allied Health Professionals and Health Care Scientists. With 38 years of experience in nursing and more than six years at executive board level, she is widely recognised across NHS Wales for her work in improving patient outcomes.

A highly experienced strategic leader, Williams has worked across a wide range of clinical and organisational settings. She has led major transformation programmes, strengthened national clinical leadership networks and championed innovation and evidence-based improvements in care. Her work has contributed to changes adopted across Wales and has been recognised with national awards.

Speaking about her appointment, Nicola Williams said: “I feel privileged

to be appointed as Executive Director of RCN Wales. I’m a proud nurse, passionate about patient safety and improving care standards.

“Delivering the best care is only possible when nursing staff are supported to work in safe, inclusive environments. I will stand alongside members and their patients.

“Nursing staff are the backbone of health and care. I am determined to support our members across Wales, wherever they work, to meet the challenges ahead and shape the future of our profession.

“I look forward to meeting members across Wales and ensuring our work is informed by their experiences and expertise.”

In her new role, Williams will lead the RCN’s work in Wales and provide strategic leadership across key priority areas spanning the UK.

She succeeds Helen Whyley, who has held the position since February 2019 and will move into a new role as Director of Service Innovation at the RCN.

Decision pending on adult mental health referral pathway

HyWEL DDA university Health board will decide next week whether to make changes to the gp referral pathway for routine adult mental health services permanent.

The decision will be taken at a public Board meeting on Thursday (Mar 26).

Board members will consider a proposal to formalise changes already introduced in Ceredigion and, if approved, roll out the revised pathway across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Since March 2025, adults in Ceredigion seeking routine mental

health support have been advised by their GP to contact the NHS 111 Wales ‘Press 2’ service, rather than being referred directly to the county’s Community Mental Health Team.

The temporary change was introduced in response to ongoing staffing shortages. Health Board officials say the approach has helped maintain timely access to face-toface assessments for those who need them, while directing initial contact through a single access point.

The 111 ‘Press 2’ service provides telephone assessments by local wellbeing practitioners, supervised

by registered mental health nurses, offering advice, support and onward referrals where required.

At its November 2025 meeting, the Board agreed to extend the temporary pathway until the end of March 2026.

A nine-week engagement exercise followed, running from December 8 to February 9, to gather feedback from patients, professionals and stakeholders on the potential longterm impact.

Andrew Carruthers, Chief Operating Officer at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to share

their views and experiences.

“I would also like to thank West Wales Action for Mental Health for supporting engagement with patients, including those with lived experience, alongside GPs, primary care teams, mental health staff and third sector partners.

“Our priority is to ensure mental health services remain accessible, fair and sustainable. The temporary changes in Ceredigion have shown some positive benefits, and the feedback we have received from across the three counties will play an important role in shaping the Board’s decision.”

The Board will review all evidence and feedback before making a final decision on the future of the adult mental health referral pathway.

GPs will continue to refer patients with urgent or complex needs directly to community mental health teams where appropriate, and have access to a dedicated NHS 111 professional line for additional clinical advice.

Further details, including the full Board papers, are available here:

https://biphdd.gig.cymru/ amdanom-ni/eich-bwrdd-iechyd/ cyfarfodydd-y-bwrdd-2026/agenda-aphapuraur-bwrdd-26-mawrth-2026/

The meeting will be streamed live from 9:30am on Thursday (Mar 26) via:

www.youtube.com/ hywelddahealthboard1

Control of £547m Local Growth Fund returns to Wales

cONtROL of a £547m Local growth Fund has been returned to the Welsh government, with ministers setting out plans to use the money to boost the nation’s economy over the next three years.

During a visit to Ebbw Vale on Friday (Mar 20), First Minister Eluned Morgan is expected to outline details of a new Investment Plan, endorsed by both the Welsh and UK governments. The plan sets out

how funding will be allocated across priority areas and within Wales’ four economic regions.

The fund will focus on three key areas: supporting productive and competitive businesses, improving skills and helping people into work, and investing in infrastructure.

Ministers say the programme is designed to empower regional decisionmaking while targeting areas with the greatest economic need. The aim is to increase

productivity, support business growth and create better-paid jobs across Wales.

Funding will be distributed based on tailored regional plans, reflecting local strengths and opportunities, including sectors such as advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

The First Minister, Eluned Morgan said: “I’m really pleased decisions on this post-EU funding, which is so important in supporting regional and local

economic growth in Wales, are being returned to the Welsh Government.

“We want to use all the levers we have to stimulate economic growth, especially in parts of Wales where economic inactivity and unemployment are higher and wages are lower.”

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans added: “The Local Growth Fund for Wales will help create and secure jobs in key industries, providing exciting opportunities for people to develop highquality, long-term careers.

“We will work with local government and other partners to ensure the fund is used effectively to create jobs, unlock growth and deliver for Wales.”

Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens said: “This transformational funding will create jobs, boost productivity and support economic growth across all parts of Wales.

“Decisions about how funding is used in Wales are best made in Wales, and this agreement delivers our commitment to return control of post-EU funding to Wales.

“It is another example of the UK and Welsh governments working together to deliver for our communities.”

First person of colour to be elected mayor of Haverfordwest

A pEMbROkEsHIRE town council will soon have its first-ever person of colour as mayor, and its youngest

mayor in a century. Haverfordwest Town

Councillor Randell Iziah Thomas-Turner, aged 37, is to

become mayor this May.

Cllr Turner said: “Tonight [March 19], I had the honour of accepting the nomination as mayor-elect — a moment that will forever stay with me.

“In doing so, I am humbled to be making history as the first mayor of colour in Haverfordwest and the youngest mayor in a century. This is not just my achievement, it belongs to every person who believes in progress, representation, and the power of community. This is a new chapter for our town — one built on unity, opportunity, and hope.

“My mayor-making will take place this May, and I cannot wait to officially step into the role and begin serving the people of Haverfordwest with pride, passion, and purpose. Haverfordwest is the best in the West — and together, we are just getting started.

“Diversity is not a challenge to overcome, but a strength to embrace. When people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together with respect and openness, we unlock new ideas, stronger solutions, and deeper understanding.”

It’s a double celebration for the Thomas-Turner family.

Wife, and fellow town councillor, Dani, has been voted as sheriff of the town for the second-year-running, the first woman to serve as sheriff for two consecutive years.

“The coming civic year will be one to watch as my husband Councillor Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner is becoming the first mayor of colour in Haverfordwest’s history,” said Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, adding: “It’s going to be a year of history and memory making for sure.”

Welsh Conservatives table Senedd debate on ‘fixing Wales’

tHE WELsH cONsERVAtIVEs

have tabled a senedd debate this week setting out what they describe as a plan to “fix Wales” after nearly three decades of Labour-led government.

The party claims that, after twentyseven years of Labour in power — supported at times by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats — Wales is falling behind the rest of the UK on key measures including health, education and the economy.

Figures highlighted by the Conservatives include one in four people currently on NHS waiting lists, with thousands waiting more than two years for treatment. Emergency departments in Wales are also said to be among the worst performing in Britain.

In education, Wales continues to rank at or near the bottom of UK league tables, with rising absenteeism and ongoing concerns over teacher recruitment and morale.

Economically, the party says Wales has some of the lowest wages in Great Britain and faces ongoing challenges in boosting productivity and employment.

Ahead of the debate, the Conservatives outlined a series of policy proposals, including:

• Cutting income tax by 1p to stimulate growth

• Declaring a health emergency to tackle NHS backlogs and increase bed capacity

• Scrapping stamp duty on primary homes

• Removing business rates for pubs, post offices and small firms

• Expanding free childcare, including allowing payments to grandparents

• Providing a £100 million boost for farmers and replacing the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme

• Investing in infrastructure,

including the M4 relief road and upgrades to the A55 and A40

• Reversing default 20mph speed limits

• Reducing bureaucracy and focusing on frontline delivery

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS said the current system “isn’t working” and argued his party has a “credible and costed plan” to improve public services and

economic performance.

He said: “We will cut taxes, boost growth, and fix our public services.

“We want to see a Wales that thrives, with a stronger economy, a properly functioning NHS, and opportunities for people in every corner of the country.”

The debate is scheduled to take place in the Senedd on Wednesday evening.

Reform moves to build west Wales base after Hakin breakthrough

REFORM uk is moving quickly to build its presence in west Wales following its breakthrough win in the Hakin by-election, with newly elected councillor scott thorley announcing plans to mobilise supporters across pembrokeshire and ceredigion.

Thorley, who was elected last week as Reform’s first representative on Pembrokeshire County Council, has now taken on the role of Chairman for the party’s Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion branch.

In a message sent to supporters, he said the party’s immediate focus is on preparing for the Senedd election on Thursday (May 7), with a strong emphasis on grassroots campaigning.

“Our top priority right now – and the single most important thing we can do – is to gather voter intentions,” he said.

“That means getting out there, knocking on doors, and simply asking people: ‘Who do you intend to vote for in May’s Senedd election?’”

Thorley said responses would be recorded using the party’s ReformGo app, allowing campaigners to identify supporters, target undecided voters and build momentum ahead of polling day.

Volunteer hubs planned across the region

As part of the strategy, Reform UK is setting up a network of local “volunteer hubs” across towns and rural areas, aimed at coordinating canvassing activity and sharing campaign resources.

In Pembrokeshire, proposed hub locations include Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, Pembroke, Tenby, Fishguard, Narberth, Neyland, Saundersfoot, Newport and St Davids.

Similar hubs are planned across Ceredigion, including Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Lampeter, Aberaeron and New Quay.

Smaller “village cluster” groups are also being organised, linking rural communities to nearby town hubs to support coordinated campaigning.

Thorley said the aim is to make canvassing “straightforward and wellorganised”, with volunteers meeting in informal settings such as homes, cafés, village halls and public spaces.

Momentum after by-election win

The announcement comes just days after Thorley’s surprise victory in Hakin, where he secured 179 votes in

a low-turnout contest.

His win marked a significant milestone for Reform UK locally, giving the party its first foothold on Pembrokeshire County Council.

Despite being a late and relatively low-profile candidate, Thorley emerged ahead of a crowded field, with the result widely seen as a sign of growing support for Reform in parts of west Wales.

The party now appears keen to capitalise on that momentum by expanding its ground operation ahead of the Senedd election.

Focus on data and doorstep campaigning

Central to the campaign strategy is the collection of voter data through direct engagement, with volunteers encouraged to log conversations and voting intentions in real time.

Thorley emphasised that “every door counts”, urging supporters to get involved and help build what he described as a stronger position for the party ahead of May.

The move reflects a broader shift towards more organised, data-driven campaigning at local level, with Reform seeking to translate its byelection success into wider electoral

gains. Further updates on the party’s local campaign activity are expected in the coming weeks.

I imagine many readers are closely following the events in the Middle East, with great concern, wondering how it’s going to worsen further.

Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war, cheered on by Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, has put our citizens and troops in the region in danger, while worsening the cost of living crisis here in the UK. As the cost of fuel for the car continues to increase, there is the prospect of the gas and electricity price cap possibly rising from July, by over £300.

The Liberal Democrats have been, and will remain, firm in our opposition to the UK’s involvement.

With UK bases now being used by the US to conduct strikes on Iran, our Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Calum Miller MP asked the Foreign Secretary to confirm whether these flights were purely defensive.

Calum also pushed for assurance that there would be a vote in the Commons before any UK forces see action, to avoid us getting entangled in the conflict.

Last Friday, the PM announced that UK bases could be used for strikes on Iranian sites, targeting the Strait of Hormuz

Before being elected Labour leader, Keir Starmer expressed support for giving Parliament a vote on military action, and since his election has stood by his earlier comments. In 2024, he stated that parliamentary approval for deploying troops was “a principle that I want to see entrenched”.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Attorney General Spokesperson Ben Maguire MP, said:

“There is no military solution to the crisis in

Thousands of sick and disabled people supported into work

W ITH ANDREW LyE

the Strait of Hormuz. Keir Starmer must not allow Britain to be dragged down a slippery slope into a reckless and illegal conflict.

“The Attorney General must publish the legal basis for any proposed UK deployments to the Strait of Hormuz. It would be an utter dereliction of duty for the Government to leave the public in the dark on such a profound issue. The Iraq war should be a lesson to this Government that holding back important information is completely the wrong approach.

“Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to prioritise diplomatic deescalation over military involvement - the Prime Minister must now be true to his word and allow MPs a vote before any personnel are deployed.”

As President Trump criticises the UK and our allies for refusing to get involved, Calum Miller MP, submitted an Early Day Motion in the Commons, calling for the King’s upcoming state visit to the US to be cancelled.

A state visit cannot be used to reward a reckless President insulting our country.

Unfortunately, the UK’s involvement has gradually increased, and the Iranian Foreign Minister has said he now considers the British are an active participant because the Government has allowed the US to use our bases to attack Iran.

In return, Iran has lashed out and fired missiles at gas and oil production facilities across the Gulf. Whilst the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, Iran could still inflict considerably more damage. Damage that could take years to replace.

If you have any

tENs of thousands of sick and disabled people across the uk – including in Wales – have received personalised employment support under a major government scheme, according to new figures released this week.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says more than 65,000 people have now been helped through its “Pathways to Work” programme, exceeding a target set in March 2025.

The initiative, delivered through Jobcentres, offers voluntary one-to-one support for people classed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) – a group previously not required to seek employment.

suppORt OR pREssuRE?

Ministers say the scheme is helping to “fix a broken welfare system” by offering tailored advice, training opportunities and routes into employment.

Work and Pensions

Secretary Pat McFadden said the programme is giving people “a real chance at secure employment” after years of being “written off”.

However, critics have long argued that changes to welfare

policy risk placing pressure on vulnerable people, particularly those with long-term health conditions or mental illness.

Around 2.7 million people are currently classed as LCWRA on Universal Credit, including more than 170,000 aged between 18 and 24.

Government data suggests that after two years, around 11.4% of those who received similar support were in work, compared to 8.1% who did not – a modest but measurable increase.

cHANgEs cOMINg IN ApRIL

The announcement comes ahead of significant changes to Universal Credit due to take effect from April 6.

These include an aboveinflation rise in the standard allowance, worth around £295 this year for a single claimant aged 25 or over.

However, the reforms also introduce a lower health-related payment for new claimants –£217.26 per month, compared to the current £429.80 – a move that has already attracted concern from campaigners.

The Government says the changes are designed to “rebalance” the system and encourage more people

into work, alongside a wider £3.5 billion investment in employment support.

REAL-LIFE IMpAct

The DWP highlighted individual success stories, including one claimant who turned a passion for art into paid work after receiving support from an adviser.

But questions remain about how widely such outcomes can be replicated, particularly in rural areas like Pembrokeshire where access to jobs, transport and specialist services can be limited.

L OcAL pIctuRE uNcLEAR

While advisers are now based in Jobcentres across Wales, no local breakdown has been provided showing how many people in Pembrokeshire or West Wales have benefited from the scheme.

With economic inactivity and long-term illness rising in many parts of Wales, the real test will be whether programmes like this translate into sustained employment locally.

The Herald understands that further data on regional outcomes may be published later this year.

First Minister at risk of losing seat as new poll reshapes Senedd election race

tHE FIRst MINIstER

Eluned Morgan could lose her senedd seat at the upcoming election, according to a major new opinion poll which signals a dramatic shift in Welsh politics.

The YouGov poll for ITV Cymru Wales, carried out in partnership with Cardiff University, suggests Welsh Labour is facing a significant downturn in support, with projections indicating the party could fail to win in several constituencies –including Morgan’s own seat of Ceredigion Preseli.

Plaid Cymru is forecast to emerge as the largest party, despite a slight dip in vote share to 33%. The party is projected to secure 43 seats –just short of an outright majority – putting leader Rhun ap Iorwerth in a strong position to attempt forming the next Welsh Government.

Reform UK has surged to 27% in the poll, closing the gap on Plaid and potentially securing around 30 seats in the Senedd. The figures underline a rapidly shifting political landscape, with Reform now firmly in contention as a major force.

Labour, meanwhile, is projected to win just 12 seats on 13% of the vote, placing it behind both Plaid and Reform. The results suggest the party may not return any Members of the Senedd in four constituencies.

RAcE FOR pOWER tIgHtENINg

Political analysts say the latest figures point to a twohorse race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.

Dr Jac Larner of Cardiff University’s Welsh Governance Centre said the poll shows a narrowing contest for the

With Henry tufnell

bANkINg, ENERgy AND LOcAL pRIORItIEs

Mid and south pembrokeshire Mp shares update on community work and activity in parliament

largest party, but added that Plaid remains better positioned to form a government due to wider coalition options.

He also noted that Labour’s support appears to have stabilised slightly since earlier in the year, following a difficult period, although the party remains well behind its traditional standing.

The Greens continue to perform strongly, polling at 12%, which could translate into around ten seats. Their rise does not appear to be eating into Plaid Cymru’s support, suggesting they are attracting a different group of voters.

tORIEs FAcE WIpEOut tHREAt

The poll paints a bleak picture for the Conservatives, who are projected to secure just one seat with around 7% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats, polling at 5%, are at risk of losing representation in the Senedd altogether.

Experts warn that the new electoral system could amplify small changes in vote share, leading to disproportionate losses for smaller parties.

MAjOR cHANgE ExpEctED

With just weeks to go until polling day, the findings point towards a potentially historic reshaping of the Senedd.

The Herald understands that parties across Wales are now intensifying campaign efforts as the prospect of a change in government becomes increasingly likely.

A large number of new Members of the Senedd are expected to be elected, with the balance of power shifting away from traditional parties and towards a more fragmented political landscape.

I’m Henry Tufnell, the MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, and I’m delighted to begin a monthly column in the Herald. Each month, I’ll update you on my work in our communities and in Parliament, and on the progress we are seeing across the county.

This month brought brilliant news about access to banking services in the south of Pembrokeshire. After more than a year of working with LINK, government ministers, the regulator, Lloyds Bank, the Post Office, and the local community, LINK has recommended a banking hub for Pembroke Dock.

This was a tremendous community effort, with people across the town and all levels of public office coming together to improve local services. The banking hub will provide much-needed face-toface banking for residents in the south of the county, many of whom have had to travel significant distances since the closure of the Lloyds branch. Access to in-person banking remains vital for communities across Pembrokeshire, and I will continue working hard to ensure these services are delivered.

Over the past month, I have been out in the constituency, seeing the brilliant work being carried out in schools and local charitable organisations.

I visited Stepaside C.P. School for World Book Day to speak with the teaching staff about Pembrokeshire County Council’s proposed school reorganisation programme and the challenges this presents to staff, pupils and the wider community. I will continue to work alongside PCC to make sure that this programme puts the needs of the community first. It was great to see such a positive learning environment, and I loved how creative the pupils’ costumes were for World Book Day.

I also attended the Street

Pastors’ AGM to hear about the vital support their volunteers provide to the community in Pembroke and surrounding areas and to express my gratitude for their amazing work.

I have continued discussions on how we can keep improving our communities.

I met with Susie Mock and Councillor Nick Neuman to explore ways of developing and supporting tourism in Broad Haven. It was a positive and constructive conversation, and I look forward to continuing to work with the tourism sector and the council to unlock barriers to growth and provide good-quality jobs for local people.

I also visited Tenby Wastewater Treatment Works to ensure that improvements are being made. I know many of my constituents feel let down by Welsh Water, given its record of unacceptable environmental performance at a time when executive pay has continued to rise. I will continue to work hard both locally and in Parliament to make sure this improves, holding water companies to account, building on the work I have done to push for legislative change and sector reform, and supporting the efforts of local campaigners who do so much to protect our rivers and beaches.

It was great to spend time with Hakin United AFC to celebrate the difference the UK Labour Government’s investment in grassroots sport has made, and to discuss how we can do even more to support local teams. I am a big believer in the importance of grassroots sports clubs like this one. They do so much in communities across Pembrokeshire, and I will continue to champion and support them.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with me this month, including all the constituents who shared their concerns.

In Parliament, I have been busy highlighting Pembrokeshire’s needs, particularly the impact of rising heating oil costs on our rural communities following the

escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

Many residents have contacted me with concerns, which I have raised directly with Ministers. I am pleased that the Government has responded with £3.8 million of targeted support for Wales to help off-grid households reliant on heating oil. It is also cracking down on price gouging and strengthening the powers of the regulator to protect consumers.

Pembrokeshire plays a key role in powering Britain, with 20% of the UK’s energy passing through Milford Haven. It will be central to our energy transition, with opportunities in floating offshore wind, blue and green hydrogen, and battery storage.

However, I remain concerned that our industry is not receiving the support it needs. I have therefore called on the Government to scrap carbon taxes and lift the ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences. This is the best way to protect British manufacturing and jobs while strengthening our economy and bolstering energy security.

I know that many people in Pembrokeshire are forced to travel long distances to access essential health services. Sometimes, patients are unable to access treatment in Wales that they would have been able to receive in England. I spoke about this issue of cross-border healthcare in Parliament this month, making the case for closer cooperation between UK and Welsh Governments to ensure rural communities get the healthcare they need.

I have also continued to champion Pembrokeshire’s family farms, asking Ministers to confirm they will be central to the Government’s negotiations with the EU. Our farming community is the backbone of Pembrokeshire’s rural economy, culture and food production, and I will continue working to ensure they benefit from future trade arrangements.

Please do get in touch if there is anything my team or I can help you with. I wish you all a very happy Easter.

SEND

EMAIL US AT: editor@herald.email

& no T ices

Pic TUre oF The week!

Swans on the way to Tesco by Berty Barret

ONE STANDARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

DEAR sIR,

As the “Day of Action Against Apartheid” approaches on March 21, it is a timely moment for reflection—particularly here in Wales, a nation with a strong tradition of social justice, international solidarity and thoughtful public debate.

It is therefore striking that the term “apartheid” is now

so readily applied to Israel, including on university campuses across the uk yet the way the word is often used today suggests less clarity than contradiction.

Apartheid, as the world understood it in South Africa, described a system in which a racial majority was denied political rights. In Israel, by contrast, Arab citizens make up around 20 percent of the population and participate in democratic life. They vote in national elections, serve in the Knesset, sit on the Supreme Court, and work across all sectors of society, from medicine to academia.

It is, one might say, an unusual form of apartheid in which the supposed victims vote, legislate and at times sit in judgement.

At the same time, far less attention is paid to other forms of discrimination in the region.

In Gaza, governed by Hamas, women face significant social pressures regarding dress and public life. In the West Bank, women continue to encounter legal and social inequalities, particularly in matters of family law and protection from socalled honour-based violence.

Likewise, across much of the Middle East, gay men face harassment, imprisonment or

worse simply for who they are. In Gaza and the West Bank, LGBT individuals often live in fear, with little or no legal protection. These realities could reasonably be described as a form of “sexual apartheid”—yet the term is rarely heard in the same activist discourse.

Perhaps the greatest irony is that many of those most vocal in applying such labels would find their own freedoms— of expression, identity and equality—far less secure under the systems they so seldom criticise.

In Wales, where questions of identity, fairness and rights are part of our national

conversation, we should be mindful of the language we use. If we are to honour the historical struggle against genuine systems of segregation, we should strive for consistency as well as conviction.

Human rights should not depend on geography, ideology or the fashion of the moment.

ANgELA stOtt

OIL - INSIDER TRADING

DEAR sIR,

IF the reports are accurate, what we are witnessing in the oil markets is nothing short of disgraceful.

Hundreds of millions of dollars placed on oil futures just minutes before a major geopolitical announcement by Donald Trump raises serious and deeply troubling questions. Ordinary investors, businesses, and indeed whole economies are left to react after the fact — yet a select few appear to have positioned themselves in

advance to profit handsomely.

If this was insider trading, it represents not just a breach of market rules, but a betrayal of public trust on a global scale. Markets are supposed to operate on fairness, transparency, and equal access to information. When that principle is undermined, confidence collapses — and with it, the integrity of the entire financial system.

What makes this situation even more concerning is the context. These trades were linked to tensions involving Iran and the potential for military action — matters of life, death, and international stability. The idea that anyone could exploit such a situation for financial gain is, frankly, disgusting.

Regulators in both the United States and the United Kingdom must act swiftly and decisively. There can be no ambiguity here: if wrongdoing has occurred, those responsible must be held accountable, regardless of their position or connections.

Anything less would send a dangerous message — that the rules only apply to the many, not the powerful few.

NIALL tAyLOt

THE SAFETy, DIGNITy AND EQUALITy OF ALL STUDENTS MUST REMAIN NONNEGOTIABLE.

DEAR sIR,

I write with deep concern following a recent poll suggesting that one in five university students in the united kingdom would be reluctant or unwilling to share accommodation with a jewish student.

This is not an isolated or marginal issue. It reflects a disturbing shift in attitudes within institutions that are meant to embody tolerance, critical thinking and inclusion. When nearly a quarter of students report witnessing behaviour targeting Jewish peers because of their religion or ethnicity, it suggests a climate that is not only hostile but increasingly normalised.

Even more troubling is the finding that almost half of respondents have heard chants glorifying Hamas or Hezbollah, or justifying the October 7 attacks, during campus protests. This goes beyond political expression. It signals the presence

of rhetoric that legitimises violence and fosters fear.

Universities should be places of safety and intellectual growth. Yet for many Jewish students, they are becoming environments where identity feels like a liability rather than something to be openly expressed. That should concern us all, regardless of our background or political views.

This is not about silencing debate. Universities must remain spaces for robust and open discussion. However, there is a clear and important distinction between debate and discrimination, between protest and intimidation. When students feel unable to live, study or express themselves freely because of who they are, something has gone profoundly wrong.

I urge your publication to continue highlighting this issue and to hold universities and policymakers to account. Silence, or attempts to downplay the problem, will only allow it to grow. The safety, dignity and equality of all students must remain non-negotiable.

Alex simmons

A jewish student

Aberystwyth university

death notices

L ESLIE M ORGAN

tHE death occurred at his home on 10th March of Mr Leslie Morgan, who was aged 83 and lived in c hapelfield g ardens, Narberth.

Leslie is pre-deceased by his wife Christine and survived by his brother Ronnie.

The funeral service takes place on Thursday, 9th April at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 1.45pm.

Further enquiries can be made with Funeral Directors W & M J Rossiter & Sons Ltd, Landsker House, 21 Station Road, Narberth, SA67 7DR or via www. rossitersfunerals.co.uk

E LI z ABETH G W y NETH DAVIES

ELIZAbEtH passed away peacefully at home with caroline by her side on 17th February 2026 aged 93 years.

Much loved, she will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.

Her funeral took place on Thursday 12th March 2026 at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth at 12.15pm.

Family flowers only.

All enquiries to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors (01437) 763821.

A LAN M ARTIN D EARING

ALAN passed away peacefully at Withybush Hospital on sunday 1st March aged 72 years.

Much loved, he will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

The Funeral Service will take place on Friday 27th March 12:15pm at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narberth.

Donations in memory of Alan for the Royal Voluntary Service can be made www.royalvoluntaryservice.org. uk.

All enquiries to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors (01437) 763821.

J OHN ‘J OHN ’ R ICHARD L EWIS

FORMER chairman of governors at Lamphey school for 50 years.

Passed away peacefully at home on Monday, 9th March 2026, aged 99.

He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Thursday, 2nd April at Parc Gwyn Crematorium at 1pm.

If desired, donations gratefully received in lieu of flowers in memory of John for ‘Alzheimer’s Society’ via the link below. (Cheques payable to ‘Alzheimer’s Society’ can be sent to John Roberts & Son Funeral Directors, 51 Bush Street, Pembroke Dock)

All are welcome to join the family at Lamphey Village Hall following the funeral from 2.15pm for light

refreshments and to share memories. johnrichardlewis.muchloved.com

G ERALDINE A LDERMAN

LEFt peacefully on saturday 14th March at pembroke Haven Residential care Home aged 92 years. Much loved. she will be missed by her sons and their wives, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as many family and friends.

Her service of Celebration and Thanksgiving will take place on Friday

17th April at 12 noon in St Michael and All Angels, Castlemartin followed by interment in the churchyard with Denis, her late husband.

Family flowers only but donations in lieu can be made in favour of The Friends of Friendless Churches/South Pembrokeshire Golf Club to either https://gofund.me/2971de1ac or to Stephen Alderman, The Old Post Office, Castlemartin, Pembroke SA71 5HN.

All enquiries to John Roberts & Son, Funeral Directors Tel: 01646 683115

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Deadline extended for Cardiff Rugby takeover talks

tHE DEADLINE for a proposed takeover of cardiff Rugby has been pushed back, giving potential buyers more time to finalise a deal.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has granted Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media a further 30 days to continue negotiations, with the new deadline now set for Wednesday (Apr 22).

The original exclusivity period for talks has now expired, but discussions between both parties remain ongoing after the WRU board previously selected Y11 as its preferred bidder in January.

The extension comes at a tense time for Welsh rugby governance. WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood is due to face a vote of no confidence at an extraordinary general meeting later this month, following pressure from leading figures within Central Glamorgan Rugby Union.

Clubs are also expected to

vote on proposed changes to how WRU board members are appointed, despite the current representatives having only recently been re-elected.

The unrest follows controversial plans by the

WRU to reduce the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three by 2027 — a move that has sparked concern across the game.

In a statement, the WRU confirmed that negotiations with Y11 have been ongoing since the group was chosen as the preferred bidder, with both sides continuing to work towards agreeing terms for the takeover.

Haverfordwest secure bonus-point win over title-chasing Tumble

HAVERFORDWE st produced one of their standout performances of the season to claim a 34–22 bonus-point victory away to title-chasing tumble on saturday (Mar 21).

The Blues showed composure and attacking intent throughout, running in five tries against one of the division’s strongest sides to underline their credentials in the closing

stages of the campaign.

Tumble, who began the day among the league leaders, were expected to provide a stern test on home soil, but Haverfordwest rose to the challenge with a clinical display in both attack and defence.

Iori Curtis was named man of the match following an influential performance, crossing for a try and playing a key role in the visitors’

attacking phases.

The try scorers for Haverfordwest were Karl Busch and Jack Evans, while Curtis added his name to the scoresheet. Scott Candler led the way with a brace, helping to secure the all-important bonus point.

Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, converting three of the tries and adding a penalty to keep the scoreboard

ticking over.

The result marks a significant win for the Blues, not only for the points gained but for the manner in which it was achieved against highquality opposition.

Club officials also praised the travelling supporters and player sponsors for their continued backing, which they say remains vital to the team’s success.

manderwood Pembrokeshire leagUe

division

division

Cardigan edge thriller as Amman fight to the finish

AMMAN uNItED remain in the bottom two of Division 3 West despite a spirited and entertaining performance against cardigan at a sun-drenched cwmamman park.

The hosts made a bright start and took the lead after ten minutes. From a well-worked lineout move and a series of tight phases, number eight Alun Lewis powered over for the opening try.

However, Cardigan responded almost immediately. A turnover during an Amman attack allowed the visitors to counter, with winger Alun Jenkins sprinting nearly fifty yards to score. Full back Llyr Jones added the conversion.

The visitors extended their advantage following a dominant scrum, with quick ball moved wide for wing Iwan John to cross.

Amman hit back in a lively, freeflowing contest. A quickly taken tap penalty from Lee Evans released centre Gareth Drewson, who crashed over for a try, with Iestyn Griffiths converting.

Captain Rhydian Jones impressed with several trademark breaks, but Amman were hampered by struggles at both the lineout and scrum. It was from a five-metre scrum that Cardigan

secured their third try.

The visitors claimed a bonus point just before half-time when outside half Jac Davies crossed for their fourth, again following a strong scrum, to give Cardigan a 26-12 lead at the break.

Amman began the second half strongly and reduced the deficit when Drewson collected his second try from broken play. Griffiths again added the extras.

Both sides were reduced to fourteen players following a scuffle, with Cian Lewis and Aaron Tomkinson shown yellow cards.

Craig Ratcliffe and Keelan Griffiths worked tirelessly for Amman, while substitute Owain Armishaw made a positive impact off the bench after Shaun Watkins was forced off injured.

For Cardigan, Owen Fletcher, Luke Rogers and captain Marcus Castle

stood out.

Further pressure from the visitors paid off when flanker Connor Owen crossed to extend the lead to 33-19.

Amman continued to push and were unfortunate not to score when Dylan Lloyds chased an up-and-under and appeared to have grounded the ball, only for play to be brought back due to an earlier injury.

The home side’s persistence was eventually rewarded when Lloyds crossed in the corner. Griffiths produced an excellent touchline conversion to secure a bonus point for Amman.

In a dramatic finish, Amman came close to snatching a draw, but Lloyds was held up over the line as he went for the corner, and the final whistle brought the contest to an end.

yOutH REAcH FINAL

Amman Youth also enjoyed success, progressing to the Welsh Youth Cup final after a tense 20-20 draw against Bargoed Youth at Briton Ferry. The young side advanced on try count and will now look forward to a trip to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in the coming weeks.

Ref abuse driving officials away from grassroots football, warns experienced referee

A gRAssROOts football referee has warned that persistent abuse from players, coaches and spectators is driving officials away from the game.

Marty Jones, who says he has spent more than thirty years involved in grassroots football and has refereed more than 500 matches as a Football Association of Wales official, has spoken out about what he describes as a growing culture of hostility towards referees.

In a strongly worded post shared online, he said the level of abuse directed at match officials has become relentless.

“When did we decide that abusing the referee is just part of the game?” he asked.

“I stand on sidelines now and it’s relentless. From kick-off to full-time, it’s a constant stream of nonsense.”

Mr Jones, who has officiated youth matches, friendlies and pre-season games — often without charging a fee

— said referees are frequently blamed for incidents beyond their control, from missed penalties to fights between players.

“Why is the one neutral person on that pitch, the one without any teammates, the one who’s given up their afternoon for the love of the game, the target for everyone’s frustrations?” he said.

He described the behaviour as “bullying” and “harassment”, adding that standards of basic respect appear to have eroded.

“It’s grown adults spending ninety minutes having a go at someone who’s just trying to let a game of football happen,” he said.

The referee also highlighted concerns about the impact on children’s football, claiming some coaches have ruined matches by constantly arguing with officials from the sidelines.

“I’ve seen coaches ruin kids’ matches because they can’t stop moaning at the ref,” he said.

“I’ve seen grown men with responsible jobs get sent off for hurling abuse at officials. I’ve even seen physical abuse aimed at referees.”

Mr Jones warned that the long-term consequences could be serious for the sport at a local level.

“Referees are quitting in droves,” he said. “Every week, good officials walk away because they’re sick of being

treated badly.”

“When they go, games don’t happen fairly, kids don’t get to play, grassroots football suffers — not because of refs, but because of behaviour we’ve all just somehow accepted.”

Campaigns such as “Respect the Ref” and “No Ref, No Game” have long been promoted across Welsh football, but Mr Jones questioned whether those messages are being taken seriously.

“Because if we did mean it, we wouldn’t tolerate behaviour that would get you thrown out of any other setting,” he said.

He urged supporters to reflect on their behaviour and focus on encouraging players rather than targeting officials.

“Go along, enjoy the game, cheer your team, encourage the players, make it a place people actually want to be,” he said.

“But if you’re just there to give the referee grief for ninety minutes, honestly, just stay home.”

The Herald understands that concerns about referee retention and behaviour at grassroots level have been raised more widely across Wales, with officials warning that recruitment and retention could become increasingly difficult if standards do not improve.

The Football Association of Wales has been approached for comment.

Star-studded entry set for Welsh rally return

A stRONg entry list and a revamped format promise a spectacular return for the get jerky Rally North Wales this weekend, as the popular event roars back after a year out.

The Welshpool-based rally, which was cancelled in 2025 due to storm damage, returns on Saturday (Mar 28) with a fresh route and renewed energy.

Organised by Wolverhampton

and South Staffordshire Car Club, the event will once again be centred around Welshpool Livestock Market, while also reconnecting with the town centre for the first time in recent years.

|Number: 4|Driver: Max McRae|Team: Team MRF Tyres|Car: Skoda Fabia RS Rally2|Keyword: BRC||Photographer: Alex Stefan|Event: Cambrian Rally|Location: Llandudno|Series: British Rally Championship|Season:

expected to challenge for honours on home soil in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, heading a strong Pirelli Welsh Rally Championship presence.

Further competition comes from Protyre BTRDA Rally Series leader Matthew Hirst and co-driver Jack Bown in a Skoda Fabia R5, alongside Alex Vassallo and Chris Lees, Icelandic pairing Daniel Siguroarson and Asta Siguroarson, and the in-form Elliot Payne and Patrick Walsh.

Ian Bainbridge and Andrew Roughead will also attract attention as they debut their new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

Historic rally fans will not be disappointed, with the Fuchs British Historic Rally Championship well represented.

George Lepley and co-driver Dafydd Evans lead Category 4 in their Mitsubishi Galant VR4, while a potential appearance from Marty McCormack and Barney Mitchell in a BMW E30 M3 could prove a major draw.

2025|Country: UK|Keyword: Rallying|Keyword: Rally|Keyword: Photography|Keyword: Photos|Keyword: Images|Keyword: Motorsport|Keyword: Rally Photography|Keyword: Gravel|Keyword: Conwy|Keyword: Wales|Keyword: October|Keyword: Probite|Keyword: Motorsport UK|Keyword: Lewis & Hunter Contracting Cambrian Rally| Fans will be able to get close to the action, with a mid-day regroup and end-of-event celebrations taking place in the heart of Welshpool.

Crews will tackle six stages covering 45 competitive miles through the iconic Dyfnant and Aberhirnant forests, delivering a classic Wales Rally GB-style challenge. Both stages will be run twice, ensuring plenty of action throughout the day.

A high-quality modern field includes British Rally Championship event winner Max McRae, alongside co-driver Cammy Fair, as he prepares for the new season.

McRae will be hoping to emulate his father, Alister, who won the event in 1998.

Welsh driver Meirion Evans, with co-driver Dale Furniss, is also

Category 3 is expected to be fiercely contested, with Richard Hill and Patrick Cooper looking to build on their recent success, but facing strong opposition including former British Rally Championship frontrunner Tom Cave, who returns in a Ford Escort Mk2 alongside Keaton Williams. Several other championships will also be decided across the weekend, including the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship, the West Wales Rally Spares HRCR Stage Masters Challenge, the TCS Plant Rally Challenge and the Mini Cup Stage Rallying Championship.

tOWN cENtRE EVENts pLANNED

Welshpool will play a central role throughout the day, hosting rally HQ and service at the livestock market.

The Seven Stars Car Park will act as a key spectator hub, while from around 12:00pm the town centre will host the mid-rally regroup alongside family entertainment, including a treasure hunt and a Guinness World Record attempt.

The ceremonial finish and champagne celebrations are expected to take place from around 3:45pm, with free access for spectators.

The first stage gets underway at 8:30am, with spectator access available at both Aberhirnant and Dyfnant South forests. Parking costs £10 per car, including a programme. More information is available at www.rallynorthwales.co.uk

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