FORMER BBC presenter Scott Mills was sacked after senior management learned that the alleged victim in a historic police investigation was under the age of 16, according to reports.

The BBC has confirmed that it was aware in 2017 of an ongoing police investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences, but said fresh information only came to light in recent weeks. The corporation then terminated Mills’ contracts on Friday, March 27.

The Metropolitan Police said the investigation began in December 2016 following a referral from another force. It related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy, reported to have taken place between 1997 and 2000.

A man, then in his 40s, was questioned under caution in July 2018. Police later passed a full file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. The investigation was closed in May 2019.

Mills, 53, said this week that he had fully cooperated with the investigation and responded to police in 2018.

In a statement, he said the matter related to an allegation dating back nearly 30 years and noted that the police investigation had been closed seven years ago. He said he hoped the public and media would respect his wish not to make any further comment.

The former Radio 2 breakfast host did not address the substance of the allegations in his statement, nor did he give further detail about what led to his dismissal by the BBC.

The BBC said it had obtained new information in recent weeks and had spoken directly with Mills before taking action.

A spokesperson said: “What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the BBC acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March.”

The corporation also confirmed that it is now carrying out further work to establish exactly what was known internally at the time the police investigation first came to its attention in 2017.

Questions are now being asked about whether BBC managers at the time knew the age of the alleged victim, and whether the matter should have been escalated more widely within the organisation.

Mills last presented his Radio 2 breakfast show on Tuesday, March 24, signing off by telling listeners he would be back the following day. He has not returned to air since.

His departure has triggered renewed scrutiny of the BBC’s handling of allegations involving high-profile presenters, particularly in light of the broadcaster’s more recent emphasis on tougher internal standards and a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct.

THE WAY Pembrokeshire residents spend their free time is changing. Across Wales and the broader UK, town centre venues have faced sustained pressure, from rising business rates to changing consumer habits, and smaller communities have not been immune. For many locals, the question of where to find reliable entertainment is becoming less about geography and more about connectivity.

That change is visible in how people are consuming media and leisure content. The Pembrokeshire Herald’s website recorded 1.1 million active users and 4.8 million page views in 2025, up from 937,000 users and 3.9 million page views the previous year. That’s a notable jump that reflects a wider turn toward online platforms for news, information, and entertainment.

Online options filling the entertainment gap

Streaming services, online gaming, and digital content platforms have absorbed much of the leisure time that might once have been spent in physical venues. This trend accelerated during 2020, and consumer habits have not fully reverted since. For residents in rural parts of Pembrokeshire, where a drive to a multiplex or a bowling alley is rarely a casual decision, online alternatives carry obvious appeal.

The convenience factor is particularly significant. For example, Gambling Insider reviewed casino sites and highlighted how platforms now offer hundreds of slot titles, multiple payment options, and live dealer games running around the clock. A player can jump into a blackjack table or spin a football-themed slot within seconds, without leaving the house or working around fixed opening hours.

Residents no longer need to plan an evening around transport or opening hours. Instead, a broadening range of digital entertainment, from on-demand film and TV to interactive games, is available on demand, at any hour, from home.

What local business groups say about the shift

The picture is not entirely bleak for Pembrokeshire’s leisure economy. Tourism remains the foundation of local commercial life, and cultural venues continue to attract audiences. The Torch Theatre in Milford Haven still draws regular visitors, and community events across the county provide in-person experiences that digital platforms cannot replicate.

Tourism in Pembrokeshire supports 23% of all local employment and contributes £604 million to the local economy annually, which underscores how much it depends on keeping residents and visitors engaged with physical spaces. Local business groups broadly acknowledge the dual reality: online entertainment is not displacing Pembrokeshire’s leisure sector outright, but it is reshaping expectations. 

Residents now compare online convenience against any in-person offering, and physical venues are having to work harder to justify the trip. For high street operators, that is both a challenge and a motivation to innovate.

Pembrokeshire-based trainer Rebecca Curtis will be hoping that her horse, Haiti Couleurs, will be among the top contenders for April’s Grand National.

Aintree hosts the most famous horse race in the world, with the Festival getting underway on Thursday, 9th April, before climaxing with the Grand National at 4 pm on Saturday, 11th.

A total of 34 runners and riders are once again set to take part, and punters can already make their selections for the big day by checking out the latest odds for all the 2026 Grand National runners.

Can Haiti Couleurs bounce back at the 2026 Grand National?

Rebecca Curtis trained Haiti Couleurs heads to Aintree off the back of an impressive 12 months.

He ended last season by winning the Irish Grand National – a race which has seen a number of its winners go on to perform well at the English version of the race in subsequent years.

Victory in the Irish National was followed by another win at the start of the current jumps season, before he saw off his rivals to take the Welsh National over the Christmas period.

After finishing first in the Denman Chase at Newbury, there was optimism that the nine-year-old could become only the second Welsh-trained horse to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Ridden once again by local jockey Sean Bowen, Haiti Couleurs could not carry his form into the famous race. Curtis’ horse led for much of the race, but was ultimately pulled up once the pace quickened, acting as a rare setback for Curtis.

Despite the disappointment at Cheltenham, Curtis will be confident that her horse can produce in the upcoming four-mile, two-and-a-half furlong marathon.

How Haiti Couleurs ranks against the favourites

Currently, bookmakers have the Pembrokeshire-trained horse at 16/1 to add his name to the Grand National’s roll of honour. Haiti Couleurs has been given a weight of 11 stone 10 pounds to carry, putting him among the top end of the handicap.

The odds generally place Curtis’ gelding sixth among the 34 runners, leaving the horse as a genuine contender in the bid for a Grand National win.

Jonjo O’Neill-trained Johnnywho has been handed a similar chance of success, having recently won the Ultima at Cheltenham this year, but connections face an anxious wait as two other horses must withdraw before he’ll make the final 34.

Jagwar, who finished second in the same race at Cheltenham, has been handed slightly better odds at 12/1, as has Iroko, who finished fourth in the 2025 Grand National. 

However, bookmakers expect the top two competitors to be the Willie Mullins-trained pair, Grangeclare West and I Am Maximus. The former finished third in last year’s event and most recently won the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse. 

Meanwhile, the 2024 winner, I Am Maximus, followed up that win with a second-place finish in 2025. He’s been given the top weight of 11 stone 12 pounds – a handicap that would make him the heaviest winner of the race since Red Rum in 1974, should he emerge victorious.