News

Dealership boss speaks of heartbreak and hope after devastating fire

Published

12 months ago

December 5, 2024

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR of a prominent car dealership has spoken about the “heartbreak” of making staff redundant for the first time in its history following a “devastating” fire.

Philip Skinner, joint managing director of Ron Skinner and Sons, described “sleepless nights” and “a lot of worry” after the blaze that tore through the company’s Tredegar site in August. However, he also shared his family’s resolve to rebuild, with the recent opening of a showroom marking a “new era” for the business.

***Philip Skinner, joint managing director of Ron Skinner and Sons (Pic: BBC)***

The fire destroyed more than 350 cars and machinery, with estimated losses running into the millions. Eighteen employees were made redundant as a result, a first in the company’s decades-long history.

The fire, reported early on Saturday, August 16, consumed the entire Tredegar building.

“By the time I got here, the whole building was ablaze. I couldn’t believe the scale of it,” said Mr Skinner. Firefighters worked only on the building’s perimeter due to the fire’s intensity, which was exacerbated by the stock.

Philip and his brother Mark, also a managing director, were left in shock but knew they needed to inform their mother, 88-year-old Rachel Skinner, who co-founded the business in 1968 with her late husband, Ron Skinner.

“She had a good 10-minute cry,” said Philip. “But by that afternoon, she told us, ‘Boys, roll up your sleeves and get it put back up.’”

Rebuilding the business

The journey to rebuild has been challenging. “Nothing was recoverable—everything was completely destroyed, even cars outside were burnt to shells,” said Philip. Wages and large bills had to be met despite the devastation, pushing the family business to its financial limits.

Family and friends rallied to help, contributing funds to stabilize the company, which also operates showrooms in Cardiff, Pembrokeshire, and Carmarthenshire. Despite this support, talks with insurers made clear that job losses were unavoidable.

“It was heartbreaking to see people I’ve worked with for so long take voluntary redundancy and leave,” Philip admitted.

While the fire and redundancies hit the company hard, the Pembrokeshire showroom continues to thrive, playing a vital role in maintaining the business’s regional presence. “Our Pembrokeshire site has always been a stronghold, and the community here has shown immense support,” said Mr Skinner.

The company’s new Tredegar showroom opened recently, smaller than the old site but full of promise. Sales manager Jonathan Robinson, who has worked with the company for 12 years, said: “The response has been incredible. It was so heartening to see the community rally around us despite Storm Bert.”

Philip Skinner is optimistic about the future. “It feels like going back 25 years to one of our oldest sites and starting fresh. This is the beginning of a new era for Ron Skinner and Sons.”

Determined family: The Skinners have rebuilt the business after fire destruction (Pic: Ron Skinner and Sons).

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

30 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.