Community

Pembroke Dock: Prince landlord narrowly escapes jail following benefits fraud

Published

9 years ago

March 30, 2015

Suspended sentence: Keith
Francis

A “GREEDY and dishonest” Pembroke businessman fiddled more than £40,000 in benefits while banking over £2M pounds, a judge heard on Monday (Mar 30).

Keith Francis, aged 70, kept quiet about operating six bank accounts and owning pubs, a restaurant and apartments.

Francis, of Bush Rise, Bush Hill, admitted defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions out of pension credits worth £41,851.

Swansea Crown Court heard he had repaid just £2,431.

Merion Davies, prosecuting, said Francis applied for credits in 2004 but would not have been entitled to anything had he told the truth about his financial affairs. But he claimed to have no assets or investments, or any income.

Francis began to receive about £157 on top of his state pension.

But DWP officials found four bank accounts used by Francis and that £2.1m of income had passed through them while he continued to receive pension credits.

Francis had told the Department he had once been a publican, but had stopped in June, 2004, and would never return to the trade.

Officials then discovered he had a financial interest in The Moat House, Pembroke, which was being converted into 14 apartments, 11 of which had been sold.

He also bought the Molly Malone restaurant, Pembroke, in 2007, and also took over the Prince of Wales pub, Pembroke, and the Bush Tavern, Pembroke Dock.

“It begged the question,” said Mr Davies, “where all the money was coming from.”

Officials also discovered a mortgage application which stated that Francis made £50,431 a year and his wife Sylvia £50,250.

“That came as a complete surprise,” added Mr Davies.

prince of wales Francis was interviewed by officials and still maintained he had no assets, income, pensions or savings, even though it was already known at that stage that he had been a director of six companies.

When told it could be proved he had banked £2.1m in four bank accounts alone between 2005 and 2012 “he just laughed.”

Mr Davies said to this day Francis had not provided the DWP with “a single document” and the department still awaited some sort of profit and loss account.

But, he stressed, it was not important whether Francis had been a successful businessman or not. He had been under a clear obligation to disclose income, irrespective of where it came from.

Francis’ barrister, James Hartson, said he was now £1m in debt. Most of the properties he owned were in negative equity and the courts had already issued a restraining order controlling £55,000 in assets.

That order, he said, would easily meet the £39,420 Francis still owed the DWP.

He described Francis as well thought of in the business community.

Judge Paul Thomas told rancis, “The case against you was overwhelming. There were several properties and businesses and it is inconceivable that you should be entitled to state benefits paid for by the rest of us.

“You are greedy and dishonest.”

Francis was jailed for nine months, but the sentence was suspended for 12 months because of his age, the state of his health, his lack of previous offending and his guilty pleas.

He was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community.

Mr Davies said the DWP would ask Francis to pay a minimum of £1,200 in costs at a future hearing.

Community

First deadlines met following enforcement action at landfill site

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

NRW issued site operator Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice on Thursday 18 April.

This outlined a series of actions to be completed by specified deadlines to address the ongoing odour and landfill gas emission issues at the site.

During the latest site inspection which took place yesterday (Thursday 25 April), NRW was able to confirm that three actions have been completed – two ahead of the imposed deadlines.

The operator has installed 24 pin wells, which have been driven into the waste in the lower section of the cell identified as causing the odour issues (Cell 8). These have also been connected to the landfill gas extraction system.

Capping material has been placed over the same area of the cell and welded to the basal liner to encapsulate gas in this area, allowing for extraction by the pin wells and four horizontal gas wells, which were previously installed.

While progress is being made, NRW officers detected strong landfill gas odours during an offsite assessment on Wednesday (24 April) in Poyston Cross and Crundale. Weather conditions this week appear to have led to a wider spread of landfill gas to surrounding areas, not solely linked to wind direction.

NRW odour assessments follow a set route around the landfill, with designated survey spots, identified to enable consistency of assessment and reporting. This is essential to ensure the regulatory and enforcement responses where there is offsite odour attributed to the landfill is robust.

The remaining Regulation 36 Notice actions will require significant effort by RML to ensure they are completed on time and NRW continues to closely monitor progress.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW, met with representatives from NRW’s South West Industry Regulation Team and Pembrokeshire County Council during a visit to Pembrokeshire on Thursday 25 April.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive, Natural Resources Wales, said: “While visiting the area surrounding Withyhedge Landfill with our regulatory team and partners from Pembrokeshire County Council this week, I was able to see and hear for myself just what people living and working in these communities have had to endure as a result of the odour issues from the site.

“What they have been experiencing is unacceptable and our officers have been working tirelessly alongside colleagues at Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator gets this under control as quickly as possible. While it was clear that a lot of work has been done on site, there is still more to do to ensure they address all the actions set out in the enforcement notice.

“We want to make sure that happens, and are exploring every option together with Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator works quickly to resolve the issues which are clearly affecting the quality of life of people in these communities.”

Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, said: “While we are reassured that action is being carried out by the operators at Withyhedge Landfill with a sense of urgency, we are continuing our regulatory presence on site to ensure the operator’s focus remains on tackling the issues that will address the continuing odour issues being experienced by surrounding communities.

“We will be closely monitoring progress over the coming days and weeks to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May. If they are not met, we will pursue additional enforcement action where appropriate.”

NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge or by calling 0300 065 3000.

Please report odours at the time of them being experienced, rather than historically. Reporting odours in a timely manner will help guide the work of partners more effectively, particularly in the further development of air quality monitoring.

These photos taken on 16 April and 25 April show the progress of capping works on cell 8. Pin wells are visible in both images. These have been connected to the landfill gas extraction system and are extracting gas from the waste mass.

Community

Milford Haven’s war memorial is 100 years old today

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Milford Haven War Memorial, a significant landmark commemorating the fallen heroes of World Wars and subsequent conflicts, marks its 100th anniversary today.

The memorial, which was inaugurated on April 26, 1924 by the Venerable the Archdeacon of St Davids, remains a poignant symbol of sacrifice and hope for peace.

Constructed from 1923 to 1924, the memorial consists of a striking assembly of pink granite and white marble statues that were sculpted in Italy.

Representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force, these life-size statues stand on an unpolished three-step plinth below a main pedestal. A soldier faces west and a sailor east, with an airman atop the central column, surveying the skies.

The names and inscriptions of the fallen are carved into the polished granite shaft, meticulously supervised by surveyor J.P. Morgan with contractor E. Jones of Llanybydder.

Located on Hamolton Terrace with views over the Milford Haven waterway, the memorial is a freestanding structure in an external, roadside setting. It features a serviceman/woman sculpture in marble and Portland stone, set on a concrete base surrounded by railings. Inscribed plaques honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2009.

The memorial lists the names of 239 men who perished in the First World War on its polished grey granite faces. The Second World War claimed 157 lives from this community, whose names are recorded on bronze plaques around the base. Notably, the memorial also honours one serviceman who fell during the Korean War and another who was killed in Iraq in 2007.

The Milford Haven War Memorial stands not only as a historical monument but also as an enduring reminder of the costs of war and the community’s ongoing commitment to peace.

As the town reflects on a century of remembrance, the hope remains that future generations will continue to cherish and learn from the lessons of the past.

Community

Suspected explosive device found on west Wales beach

Published

14 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Luke Sinclair

NEW QUAY Coastguard Rescue Team were tasked at 03:50 this morning following a report of suspected washed up Ordnance on Llanrhystud beach. Following an assessment by the Army Bomb Disposal Team it was discovered the item was not Ordnance. It was reported with good intent and thankfully there was no risk to the public.

Reporting of ordnance – Always be mindful of objects you may discover on our beaches.

Our shores are filled with history, but remnants from the past can still sometimes wash up on our shores today.

If you find something on the beach that’s an unusual size or shape, especially if it’s rusty, it could be an unexploded ordnance.

What should I do if I find something that looks unusual on the beach?

While it is very rare to find unexploded ordnance on a visit to the beach, bad weather and high tides can expose these objects. It’s important to be cautious, as ordnance comes in all shapes and sizes.

If you do come across something on the beach that you’re unsure of or suspect could be unexploded ordnance, please don’t touch it or move it. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard – we will take immediate steps with the relevant partner authorities to keep people safe and ensure the item in question is disposed of correctly.