News

Monkton protesters talk to top brass

Published

8 years ago

July 13, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Protest: Outside Pembroke Dock police station

THIS MORNING (Jul 13) at 9:30am, around one hundred protesters returned to the council offices in Pembroke Dock for a meeting with police and Pembrokeshire County Council spokespersons. On arrival, they were informed that there was not enough space within the building and a handful of protesters would be allowed in.

The group, lead again by Charlie Price, declined this offer, and moved to outside the police station, where they told officers that any meeting would have to take place outside in public for all of the protesters to participate in.

With the protesters assuring the police that the protest would remain peaceful, the group cheered as it was announced that Superintendent Ian John and Kerry Macdermott, Head of Housing and Revenue Services for Pembrokeshire County Council, would be arriving shortly.

Supt. John said: “The two residents of that flat, as it stands, neither of those two people, were actually currently on the sex offender’s register.”

“The facts are, they were not on the sex offender’s register. It would be inappropriate for me to go into specific detail, but what I will say, the lady who moved in with the gentleman who is the tenant of the flat, was not required to record her movements, as she would have been if she was on the sex offenders register.

“She was not placed there. She placed herself there.”

Supt. John then went on to warn about the dangers of so-called sex offender registers which can be found on the internet, which were not official police sources and potentially ‘not current or accurate’.

Mr Macdermott said: “It is no different to having a relationship and your partner moving in. That’s what has appeared to have happened her.

“For whatever reason, the tenant has allowed that person to move in with him.

“I also manage the housing benefits as well, so I can speak with knowledge, there are many cases where a single tenant, and there is another tenant who moves in as a partner, we would not necessarily put them as joint tenants for a whole raft of legal reasons.

“She wasn’t declared as living at the property and the tenancy was not changed.”

The group then described an alleged incident in which they claimed to have ‘ran out’ a paedophile from his home the night before (Jul 12), who drove to the police station and slept in the car park.

Supt John responded by warning against any vigilante actions: “Let me just say, for anyone who commits any criminal offences, we will deal with it. If anybody at all considers taking the law into their own hand, that is the wrong thing to do, you know that.

“We have a good relationship with the people in Monkton. We want to work with everyone and keep everyone safe, but there are laws in this country which protect people.

“It is not up to me or you which punishment or control people have, we have to work together safely, and I’m telling you we will continue to do that.

“It is your duty as citizens to work together with us. By talking about taking the law into your own hands… you are putting yourself at risk.”

He then went on to reassure the group that since Tuesday night, Dyfed-Powys Police had conducted extensive research into the woman’s situation: “The circumstances of the individual we are talking about have been thoroughly looked in the last 24 hours. Prior to that we had some contact with her locally, but what we did not know was the details of that background.”

Mr Macdermott then offered financial support to the group, who earlier in the morning had been talking about raising funds for charity: “If you set up a committee with Pearl on the committee, there are certain funds we can make available to you. I am prepared to come down and help you, help raise funds, and provide monies for charities.”

Mr Price, and many of the members of the group, saw this as an attempt of ‘paying off’ their cause, and declined: “We appreciate the offer, we are glad to know you are willing to sit down and talk to use. One thing we don’t want is the council to pay us off, so thank you for your offer, but we don’t need your money.”

Annalee: Not happy with the sex offenders register

A local resident, Annalee, then spoke of her experience with the sex offenders register after he daughter was sexually assaulted: “Fifteen years ago my daughter was sexually assaulted by a cousin. He only got put on the sex offenders register for five years, because he admitted doing the crime and was 15. He did his five years, and then went into the army.

“He used a different name – that wasn’t policed. He’s come out of the army, re-offended, and is now back on the sex offenders register for another five years.

“The law needs to change. If the law was how it is in England and Scotland, and there was more of a punishment, perhaps he wouldn’t have come out of the army and re-offended.

“I went to court 18 months ago after he was caught re-offending, it was a court in England, the Judge couldn’t believe why he was only on the register for the severity of the case against my daughter for just five years.”

Following the conclusion of the meeting, Cllr Pearl Llewellyn said: “I am here for Monkton. I support you 100%, but this has to be a peaceful demonstration – you won’t get anywhere with shouting.

“Charlie has excelled himself yesterday and today – he is a good spokesperson, he’s talking from the heart and means every word he says, but you have to know what you’re asking and what you’re talking about.

“I have to take advice from police and the council – I was told by Pembrokeshire County Council not to get involved or to come to these meetings, but I have, because my daughter lived in Monkton.

“Thank you all for coming down and being very patient.”

The event concluded with the announcement that a further protest would be held at County Hall in Haverfordwest tomorrow (Jul 14).

Farming

Basic Payment Scheme 2025 balance paid to 95% of Welsh farmers

Published

7 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final year of BPS as transition to Sustainable Farming Scheme begins

The WELSH Government says more than ninety-five per cent of farm businesses have now received their full or balance payment under the final year of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), ahead of the introduction of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2026.

Announcing the update on Friday (Dec 12), Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed that over 15,400 Welsh farm businesses have been paid £68.7m. This comes on top of the £160m issued in BPS advance payments since 14 October.

Final round of BPS payments

The Basic Payment Scheme, which has been the backbone of farm support in Wales for a decade, provides direct income support to help farmers plan and manage their businesses. BPS 2025 marks the last year in which full BPS payments will be made before the scheme begins to be phased out.

The Cabinet Secretary said officials would “continue to process the outstanding BPS 2025 claims as soon as possible,” adding that all but the most complex cases should be completed by 30 June 2026.

Payments issued today represent the main balance due to farmers following earlier advances, giving many businesses the cash flow they need during the quieter winter period—traditionally a challenging time in the agricultural calendar.

Shift to Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026

From 1 January 2026, the Welsh Government will begin rolling out the Sustainable Farming Scheme, a major reform to how agricultural support is delivered. The SFS will reward farmers for environmental outcomes such as habitat management, carbon reduction and biodiversity improvements, alongside continued food production.

The government has argued that the new scheme is essential to meeting Wales’ climate and nature targets while ensuring long-term resilience in the sector. However, the transition has been closely watched by farming unions, who have raised concerns about the administrative burden, income stability, and the speed at which BPS is being phased out.

Mr Irranca-Davies reaffirmed the government’s stance, saying: “This government is steadfastly committed to supporting Welsh farmers to sustainably produce quality food. This is demonstrated today in our payment of the BPS 2025 balance payments and will continue throughout the transition period.”

Sector reaction

Farming unions are expected to scrutinise the detail of today’s announcement, particularly around remaining unpaid cases. Last year, late payments led to frustration in parts of the sector, with unions calling for greater certainty as the industry faces rising input costs, supply chain pressures and continued market volatility.

The move to the SFS remains one of the most significant agricultural policy changes in Wales since devolution. Ministers insist the shift is designed to support both food production and environmental stewardship, while critics warn the transition must not undermine farm viability—especially for family-run livestock farms that dominate rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

What happens next

Farmers still awaiting their BPS 2025 balance will continue to be processed “as soon as possible”, the Welsh Government said. Officials will also publish updated guidance on the Sustainable Farming Scheme ahead of its launch.

The coming year will therefore become a pivotal moment for Welsh agriculture, as the long-standing BPS framework—which provided over £200m annually to Welsh farmers—makes way for a new results-based model that will shape the industry for decades to come.

News

Improved train timetable launches across Wales

Published

7 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Extra services, later trains and boosted Sunday routes as £800m rail investment takes effect

An improved train timetable has come into force across Wales today (Sunday, 14 December), with Transport for Wales (TfW) introducing more frequent services, stronger connections and additional late-night trains on key routes.

The winter timetable update brings one of the most substantial uplifts in recent years on the Wales and Borders network, forming part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing £800 million investment in brand-new rolling stock and reliability improvements.

More trains and later journeys

Among the upgrades, passengers will see:

A new hourly additional service between Chester and Wrexham, effectively doubling the frequency on one of the region’s busiest commuter corridors.
An extra train in each direction every day on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Three later last trains from Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, supporting shift workers and the night-time economy.
A new hourly Sunday service on the Coryton line in Cardiff.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said improved connectivity was “absolutely vital” for economic growth and passenger confidence.

“These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services and greater connectivity,” he said. “This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.

“We will see the doubling of trains between Wrexham and Chester and a later service from the capital to valley communities. In South Wales, people will continue to benefit from simpler, fairer fares through TfW’s Pay As You Go service, and its forthcoming introduction in North Wales will help even more passengers access easy, transparent pricing.”

Full details of the updated timetable are available at: tfw.wales/service-status/timetables

News

Wrecked guard boat still under watch off north Pembrokeshire coast

Published

8 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Tidal changes monitored after dramatic early-morning rescue

A GUARD VESSEL that ran aground off the north Pembrokeshire coast in the early hours of Thursday morning (Dec 11) remains under close observation as tides continue to shift.

The Resolute, a 24-metre guard boat understood to be working for an offshore wind project off the Irish coast, had been sheltering in worsening weather when she was pushed onto rocks near Aber Hywel, Dinas, shortly after 3:25am.

Four crew members were onboard when the vessel grounded in rough seas and a strong southerly wind.

Major rescue effort launched

The crew issued an emergency alert, prompting a full multi-agency response.
A coastguard rescue helicopter, both Fishguard RNLI lifeboats, and coastguard teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene.

Turbulent air made a winch rescue impossible and Fishguard’s all-weather lifeboat was unable to get close due to cliffs and submerged hazards. The inshore lifeboat was instead deployed to attempt a transfer in extremely challenging conditions.

During the evacuation, the third crew member descending to the vessel’s life raft slipped, fell into the water and was swept away. Speaking afterwards, RNLI crew member Cedwyn Rogers said the team immediately switched into “hyper-focused” mode as training took over.

Despite the casualty drifting, helm Warren Bean — a volunteer with more than 30 years’ RNLI experience — manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside, allowing crew to haul the man to safety. The remaining crew member was then retrieved, and all four were taken aboard the all-weather lifeboat and brought ashore to Fishguard.

All rescue units were later stood down.

Vessel still stranded and taking on water

The Herald understands that the Resolute remained aground on the rocks yesterday and was taking on water. The crew were later assisted back onboard by a local fisherman to assess damage on behalf of the vessel’s operators.

Management representatives from Ireland were due to arrive to draw up a recovery plan, including arrangements to remove fuel to prevent any potential environmental impact.

Further inspections have been taking place today as the team evaluates the next steps.

Coastguard statement

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “At 3.28am on Thursday morning, HM Coastguard was made aware of a vessel with four persons onboard aground on rocks at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. RNLI lifeboats and coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene. The four people aboard were rescued by lifeboat, and the helicopter was stood down. The vessel, which is still aground, is being monitored as tidal conditions change.”