News

Family devastated by tragic fire that claimed life of 5-year-old Alysia

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

A TRAGIC fire that claimed the life of a five-year-old girl, described as the “happiest little girl who was always smiling,” started in her bedroom, an inquest heard today.

Alysia Salisbury, who lived with her mother, two sisters, and her mother’s partner in Pontyglasier, near Crymych, died in the house fire on 28 May last year. Pembrokeshire Coroner Paul Bennett revealed during the inquest that Alysia, who was autistic, had a particular fascination with sensory experiences, including fire.

Her mother, Tara Salisbury, noted that Alysia was often captivated by the shape and movement of flames, particularly during family celebrations. “On her birthday, she would become distracted by the candles on her cake,” Tara explained. As a result, the family took precautions to limit access to potential fire hazards in the home.

Alysia’s older sister kept a lighter securely locked in a click-lock box on top of a tall cupboard in her attic bedroom. The only other lighter was stored outside the house in the family’s catering van.

On the evening of 27 May, Alysia had been enjoying a “sister sleepover” in her sibling’s first-floor bedroom. At around 9:30 pm, her older sister briefly went downstairs to warm a brioche in the oven. At this time, Alysia’s eldest sister was in her attic bedroom, while her mother and her partner were in their room.

Five minutes after the oven was turned on, the property’s smoke alarm sounded. Tara initially assumed it was triggered by the oven, as had happened before, and went downstairs to try to silence it. Her partner and the two sisters also came out of their rooms to investigate. There were no immediate signs of fire, and the door to Alysia’s bedroom remained shut.

However, moments later, smoke began to descend the stairs, and the family realised there was a fire in Alysia’s room. Tara and her partner rushed to open the bedroom door, only to find the nearby wooden desk fully engulfed in flames. The fire rapidly spread across the ceiling and out of the room, reaching the attic stairs.

Despite their efforts to control the fire, they were forced to leave the house as the flames intensified. Seconds later, the windows shattered, and the fire spread further. Firefighters arrived at the scene but were unable to save Alysia, who was found at 1:05 am the next morning.

In a heartfelt statement, Tara described Alysia as “one of a kind” and shared that the family would “miss that little smile every day for the rest of their lives.”

Jason Woodman, a fire investigator with the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, reported that the lighter from Alysia’s sister’s attic bedroom had been used to ignite something on the desk in the first-floor bedroom. Although there were scented candles on the desk, he could not definitively say whether they or another flammable item had started the blaze. The room had what was described as a “heavy fire load,” which caused the fire to spread quickly.

Tara explained that Alysia, despite her young age, was capable of using a lighter. Due to her autism, she had no fear of danger and would likely have been mesmerised by the flames as the fire grew.

A post-mortem conducted by Dr Stephen Leadbeatter at the University Hospital of Wales concluded that Alysia died from exposure to fire and fire effluent. Pembrokeshire Coroner Paul Bennett described the tragedy as unimaginable. “I cannot begin to imagine the horror and sheer sense of helplessness that Tara and Joshua went through,” he said. “To lose a young person is tragic, but to do so in such desperate circumstances cannot be comprehended.”

Mr Bennett recorded a verdict of accidental death and extended his deepest condolences to Alysia’s family. Tara concluded her statement by saying, “We miss her terribly. She was very, very loved and will be very, very missed for a long time.”

Charity

Vincent Davies raises £13,682 for air ambulance charity

Published

6 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Independent Haverfordwest store backs lifesaving crews with year of community fundraising

A WEST WALES department store has raised more than thirteen thousand pounds for a lifesaving emergency service after a packed year of community fundraising.

Staff at Vincent Davies Department Store collected £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity, after voting the organisation their Charity of the Year for 2025.

The independent retailer organised events throughout the year, including an Easter bingo, bake sales, quizzes, raffles, staff sales, Christmas jumper days and a festive wreath-making workshop. Charity jam jars placed in Café Vincent also helped gather steady donations from customers.

One of the most popular attractions was the store’s charity singing penguin trio, which drew smiles from shoppers of all ages and boosted collections.

Sarah John, Joint Managing Director at Vincent Davies, said: “Raising £13,682 for the Wales Air Ambulance Charity is something we are extremely proud of at Vincent Davies Department Store. As a director, it’s wonderful to see our community come together to support a charity that makes such a lifesaving difference.”

The air ambulance is consultant-led, delivering hospital-level treatment directly at the scene of serious incidents and, when needed, transferring patients straight to the most appropriate specialist hospital.

Working in partnership with the NHS through the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, crews can provide advanced critical care including anaesthesia, blood transfusions and even minor surgical procedures before reaching hospital.

Operating across the whole of Wales, its teams travel the length and breadth of the country by helicopter and rapid response vehicle to reach patients quickly in both rural and urban areas.

This is not the first time the Haverfordwest store has backed the cause. In 2016, staff previously raised £5,831 when the charity was also chosen as their beneficiary.

Mike May, the charity’s West Wales Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We are so grateful to Vincent Davies Department Store for raising an incredible amount for our charity. Throughout the year they put on a variety of different events and what a successful fundraising year it was.

“The charity needs to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. By raising £13,682, the staff and customers have played an important part in saving lives across Wales.”

The store says it will announce its Charity of the Year for 2026 in the coming weeks.

Crime

Police assess complaints over Mandelson–Epstein links

Published

6 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Met says allegations will be reviewed to see if criminal threshold is met following release of US court files

SCOTLAND YARD is reviewing a series of complaints alleging possible misconduct in public office after fresh claims emerged linking former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed it has received “a number of reports” following the publication of millions of pages of material by the United States Department of Justice, and will now decide whether any alleged conduct reaches the level required for a criminal investigation.

Commander Ella Marriott said the force would assess each report individually, stressing that a review does not automatically lead to formal proceedings.

The documents, widely referred to as the “Epstein files”, appear to show Mandelson corresponding with Epstein while serving as business secretary during the government of Gordon Brown at the height of the global financial crisis.

According to reports, Epstein was allegedly given insight into internal policy discussions, including proposals around banker bonus taxes in 2009 and details of a eurozone bailout package shortly before it was announced publicly.

Payments questioned

Bank records cited in the US disclosure reportedly show payments totalling 75,000 US dollars made to Mandelson between 2003 and 2004. It is also claimed Epstein paid for an osteopathy course for Mandelson’s husband.

Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing and said he has “no record or recollection” of the alleged transfers.

On Sunday he resigned his membership of the Labour Party, saying he did not want his continued association to cause further difficulty for the party.

In interviews, he dismissed suggestions that Epstein influenced his decisions as a minister and said nothing in the released files pointed to criminality or misconduct on his part.

Pressure mounts

The political fallout has intensified, with Downing Street confirming Keir Starmer has asked Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald to carry out an urgent review into Mandelson’s historic contacts with Epstein while in office.

Brown has also called for an examination of whether any confidential or market-sensitive information was improperly shared during the financial crisis.

The case is the latest in a series of controversies linked to Epstein’s long-standing relationships with powerful figures on both sides of the Atlantic.

Police emphasised that no charges have been brought and that Mandelson is not currently under criminal investigation, but said the complaints process would be handled “thoroughly and impartially”.

Community

Councillor meets chief constable to address Monkton and Pembroke concerns

Published

7 hours ago

February 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COUNTY COUNCILLOR Jonathan Grimes has met with the new Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police to discuss crime, antisocial behaviour and wider community issues affecting residents in Pembroke and Monkton.

Cllr Grimes, who represents Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, said the meeting followed his invitation for senior police leaders to visit the area and hear first-hand about local concerns.

The Chief Constable, Ifan Charles, attended alongside officers from the Pembroke Neighbourhood Policing and Protection Team, meeting the councillor in Monkton for what were described as open and constructive talks.

As part of the visit, they also spoke with Monkton Priory Community Primary School headteacher Dylan Lawrence and Danny Nash from Pembrokeshire County Council Housing Services to gather views from education and housing professionals.

Discussions covered a range of issues raised by residents, including domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, antisocial behaviour and environmental concerns such as littering, dog fouling and dangerous or inconsiderate driving.

Cllr Grimes acknowledged recent police successes, particularly in tackling drug-related activity, but said enforcement alone would not solve the area’s challenges.

He said closer cooperation between the police, council services, schools and the wider community would be needed to deliver longer-term improvements.

The councillor added that he plans to encourage residents to form a local community group in the coming weeks, aimed at developing practical solutions and strengthening partnership working across the area.