News

Bullyboy Bryn caused Audit Chair to resign

Published

12 years ago

August 9, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Revealed explosive letter – Cllr. Jacob Williams

By Jon Coles, Assistant Editor

EAST WILLIAMSTON Councillor, Jacob Williams, has exclusively revealed the explosive content of a letter sent to IPPG Leader Jamie Adams by former Audit Committee Chair John Evans MBE.

The letter exposes the extent of Bryn Parry Jones’ paranoia about the Herald’s coverage of the grants scandal that has engulfed the Council and the campaign of Councillor Mike Stoddart to expose the Council’s maladministration of public money in the Commercial Property Grants Scheme in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock.

In May, after the Herald revealed that Council’s European Manager Gwyn Evans had tampered with meeting minutes, the Council’s CEO summoned John Evans MBE, senior officers and two councillors to his office and demanded that that one of them own up to being responsible for the leak. If the person responsible did not own up, the CEO threatened those present with a “private investigator” to discover the mole’s identity.

Mr Parry Jones’ threat seems to suggest that he regards himself as above the rules lately adopted by his own employers as to the treatment of whistle blowers who make revelations in the public interest.

As it happens, the Herald can allay Mr Parry Jones’ paranoia. We can confirm that nobody at that meeting revealed that Gwyn Evans was responsible for tampering with potential evidence in a criminal investigation. We can also confirm that no serving councillor was responsible for giving us that information.

Jacob Williams, whose website contains the full text of Mr Evans’ letter, reports:

“Mr. Parry-Jones is then claimed to have “instructed all present to issue a signed written statement of discussions or meetings during which the identity of the Officer could have been revealed.”

“The meeting “ended in a stunned silence” and left Mr. Evans “shocked at the tone, attitude and hostility of the Chief Executive,” and says that the “hostile nature of the encounter” instigated by Mr. Parry-Jones and such “intimidation” had “violated” and “compromised” his independence as the committee’s statutory lay member.”

CEO under fire: Bryn Parry Jones

No doubt, Mr Parry Jones’ bullyboy tactics and his attempt to intimidate senior officers, councillors and a distinguished lay chair of a key Council committee was such a run of the mill event at County Hall that IPPG Leader Jamie Adams failed to mention it when responding to a question at the last full council meeting about the circumstances that led to John Evans MBE’s resignation as Audit Committee Chair.

In addition, the letter allows the inference to be reasonably drawn that two unelected officers had chosen to overturn the decision of a democratic committee of the Council in order to shield those officers responsible or culpable in other officers’ incompetence.

Those officers, Jon Haswell and Kerry MacDermott, respectively directors of human resources and head of audit, chose to ride rough-shod over a decision made by a democratically elected Council Committee to inquire into how, why and at whose behest Gwyn Evans had tampered with meeting minutes and also about the terms and extent of an inquiry into the administration of the grants scheme generally.

The letter confirms that far from there being no “obvious disagreement” – a turn of phrase that had to have been provided to Cllr Adams by either Messrs Haswell or MacDermott – the terms and magnitude of that disagreement are amply demonstrated by the content of the letter the IPPG leader received well before he delivered his scripted answer to Cllr Mike Stoddart’s question about John Evans MBE’s resignation.

Jon Haswell, Director of Finance, was in charge of the process of appointing John Evans MBE’s replacement. As The Herald wrote, he will be hoping to appoint someone more biddable than the former chairman.

With the CEO exposed as a bully and the IPPG leader as someone who can most generously be described as being extremely “economical with the truth”, the culture of cover up and cant at County Hall has been laid bare.

Crime

Drug-driver sent vehicles airborne in terrifying M4 collision

Published

1 hour ago

July 18, 2026

Court Reporter

Motorist suffered head wounds and post-traumatic stress after van repeatedly swerved across motorway

A VAN driver who had cocaine, a cocaine by-product and Valium in his system sent two vehicles airborne after crashing into the back of a car on the M4.

Joseph Williams had been driving erratically along the westbound carriageway when his van struck a Kia Picanto travelling at around 64mph.

The collision left the Kia’s driver with wounds to the back of her head, extensive bruising and suspected bruising to her lungs.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the woman has since required trauma therapy and counselling and is continuing to struggle with the psychological effects of the crash.

Williams, aged 33, of Eaton Road, Brynhyfryd, Swansea, had previously admitted dangerous driving, three drug-driving offences and failing to surrender to court bail.

The court heard that police received several calls from members of the public on the night of September 5, 2025, reporting a van being driven dangerously between junction 37 at Pyle and junction 36 at Sarn.

Prosecutor Joseph Hocquard said the van repeatedly moved across all three lanes of the motorway, while its speed fluctuated between approximately 30mph and more than 80mph.

One witness, who had been travelling steadily at between 60mph and 65mph, reported being overtaken by Williams four times as he repeatedly accelerated and slowed down.

Williams was then seen moving from lane one across to lane three before returning to lane one and crashing into the rear of the Kia.

A motorist following the van described both vehicles being thrown into the air by the force of the impact.

Williams’ van overturned and came to rest on its side, leaving him trapped inside. Firefighters were called to release him from the vehicle.

A roadside drug test produced a positive result for cocaine, and further blood tests were carried out after Williams was taken to hospital.

The results showed he was almost five times the legal driving limit for benzoylecgonine, the main substance produced when cocaine is broken down by the body.

He was also above the legal limits for cocaine and diazepam, commonly known by the brand name Valium.

The driver of the Kia suffered two significant wounds to the back of her head as well as bruising across her body.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said she was receiving counselling and trauma therapy and faced the challenge of rebuilding her life each day.

Williams told the court he was “very sorry” for his behaviour and the impact it had caused. He said he had a seven-year-old daughter and was now subjected to weekly drug testing through his employment.

The court also heard that Williams failed to attend an initial hearing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, leading to a warrant being issued for his arrest. He later missed a further hearing at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.

Judge Catherine Richards said Williams had been highly impaired by drugs while carrying out a prolonged period of dangerous driving.

She said his selfish behaviour had subjected the other motorist to a terrifying experience and had caused a significant and lasting impact on her life.

Williams received an 11-month prison term for the driving offences and a consecutive one-week term for failing to surrender.

The custodial sentence was suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation programme and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Williams was disqualified from driving for three years and will have to pass an extended driving test before being allowed back on the road.

News

Record 34 candidates to contest Clacton by-election triggered by Farage

Published

17 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Nigel Farage will face an extraordinary field of 33 opponents when voters in Clacton return to the polls next month

A RECORD 34 candidates have been confirmed for the Clacton parliamentary by-election, which will take place on Thursday, August 13.

The contest was triggered after Mr Farage resigned as the constituency’s MP before announcing that he would stand again for Reform UK.

He said the election would allow local voters to judge his conduct following intense scrutiny of his financial backing and two inquiries by Parliament’s standards commissioner.

Mr Farage has denied wrongdoing and maintains that gifts and other support he received were personal and did not need to be registered under parliamentary rules. He has described the by-election as a contest between the public and the political establishment.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are among the larger parties that have declined to field candidates.

Their absence has left political satirist Count Binface and Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox among the best-known names challenging Mr Farage.

The ballot paper will also feature three candidates from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, several representatives of smaller political parties and a large number of independents.

Tendring District Council confirmed the final list after nominations closed on Friday.

The council said the field of 34 is believed to be the largest ever assembled for a UK parliamentary election.

The previous record is understood to have been 26 candidates at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in July 2008. That election was called after Conservative MP David Davis resigned and stood again to campaign over civil liberties.

Full list of Clacton candidates

The candidates standing on August 13 are:

Joseph 77, Independent
Adham Alkhatip, The Forward Party
Count Binface, Count Binface Party
Nick The Incredible Flying Brick, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Tony Cane, Independent
Woke Trump Carrzee, Independent
William Stuart James Clouston, Social Democratic Party
Rees Cowne, Independent
Glenn Charles Cummings, Independent
Martin Davies, Freedom Alliance – Real People, Real Alternative!
Andy Erlam, Independent
Nigel Farage, Reform UK
Attieh Fard, Independent
Laurence Fox, The Reclaim Party
Tony Francis, Independent
Robin Green, Independent
Abi Hookway, Independent
Howling Laud Hope, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Stephen Richard Ingram, Independent
Amy Morris, Independent
Derrick Norbert Morris, Independent
Michael Noel O’Keeffe, Independent
Martyn OBrien, Independent
Nick Pelas, Independent
Ketankumar Pipaliya, UK VOICE safer and stronger UK
Daniel Pocock, Independent
James Ransley, Consensus Party Candidate
Gerry Smith, Independent
Kai Stephens, British Democrats
John Stevens, Rejoin EU
Baron Von Thunderclap, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Pamela Walford, Independent
Marcus White, Everyone is God Party
Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Almost 80,000 people are eligible to vote across the constituency’s 51 polling stations.

Residents who are not already registered must apply by July 28. The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on July 29, while applications for proxy votes and free Voter Authority Certificates must be submitted by 5pm on August 5.

Mr Farage first won Clacton for Reform UK at the 2024 general election, receiving 21,225 votes and securing a majority of 8,405 over the Conservatives.

The seat has officially been vacant since July 8 following his resignation.

Charity

Forever 11 water safety programme reaches nearly 2,000 Pembrokeshire pupils

Published

18 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A CHARITY established in memory of 11-year-old Zac Thompson is helping almost 2,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren learn potentially life-saving skills in and around the water.

Forever 11 was founded following Zac’s death in 2022, when he was swept into the sea.

The charity began delivering water safety programmes in 2023, initially working with one school. It now supports pupils at 13 primary schools across Pembrokeshire, with around 2,000 children expected to take part in its sessions this year.

Forever 11 chair Carli Newell said the charity believes water safety should be treated as an essential life skill for children growing up in a coastal county.

She said: “Every child in Pembrokeshire deserves the right to have water safety sessions.

“Especially where we live, it should be as important as being able to read.”

Working alongside organisations including PaddleWest, Activity Pembrokeshire and Windswept Wales, the charity provides practical kayaking, paddleboarding and sea kayaking sessions.

Pupils are also taught important safety advice, including the RNLI’s Float to Live guidance, while some children have the opportunity to gain nationally recognised Paddle Safe and Swim Safe qualifications.

The programme was originally aimed at pupils in Years 5 and 6, but it has since been extended to children in Years 3 and 4.

The charity hopes that introducing younger pupils to the water will help them build confidence and develop essential skills before reaching the age group most at risk of accidental drowning.

Forever 11 trustee Lucy Garett said national drowning figures are reviewed each year to help shape the programme.

She said: “The trends are all the same every year.

“It’s mostly children aged between 10 and 19 who are at risk of accidental drowning.

“We want children to have at least one or two sessions in the water before they reach that higher risk group.”

The sessions are offered to schools free of charge, with the costs covered through fundraising and public donations.

This means children can participate regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

Forever 11 estimates that it has delivered more than 10,000 hours of water safety education since its work began.

Ms Garett said the response from schools, parents and pupils had been extremely positive.

She added: “Some parents have told us their child had been completely scared of going in the water, but afterwards they said it was one of the best days they’d ever had at school.”

The charity now hopes to work with more watersports providers, allowing the scheme to reach additional schools throughout Pembrokeshire.

Its long-term ambition is for every primary school pupil in the county to finish school with the knowledge and confidence needed to stay safe around the water.

The charity said: “We want every primary-aged child to know what to do to keep themselves and others safe in and around the water.”

Forever 11 will continue raising awareness and funds at Pembroke Regatta on Saturday, July 25, followed by its annual Forever 11 Fun Day on Sunday, July 26.