Crime

Senedd Members call for urgent action on safety after school stabbings

Published

1 year ago

February 7, 2025

SENEDD Members called for urgent action to ensure safety in schools after a 14-year-old girl was found guilty of the attempted murder of two teachers and a pupil.

Adam Price raised warnings from trade unions of a “behaviour crisis” in Welsh schools following the stabbings at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford.

The former Plaid Cymru leader asked about the use of security guards and scanners in schools, and extending the powers of teachers to search pupils without consent.

South Wales East MS Natasha Asghar, the Conservatives’ shadow education secretary, warned that violence in Welsh schools is becoming more and more frequent.

Calling for urgent action following the “horrific” incident in Carmarthenshire, she said: “This is an issue that’s much more widespread and deep rooted.

“In recent weeks, we’ve seen schools in Pembrokeshire, Port Talbot, Caerphilly and my own patch of Newport placed on lockdown and only today South Wales Police issued a statement about a knife reportedly being found in a bag of a student at a school in Bridgend.

“Nobody, and I mean nobody, should be going into work with fears of being attacked and schools should be a safe place for all pupils, students and everyone else in between.”

Tom Giffard, a fellow Tory, said: “Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more prevalent. We saw just yesterday in Bryntirion school in Bridgend a pupil carrying a knife and the really, really tragic incident we saw on Monday in Sheffield where a young person lost their life.”

He cautioned that while measures such as security guards need to be considered, it is important not to overlook the root of the problem.

Lynne Neagle, Wales’ education secretary, clarified that schools can search pupils without consent and permanently exclude those caught carrying a weapon.

Lynne Neagle, cabinet secretary for education

During topical questions on February 5, Ms Neagle told the Senedd a summit will be held on behaviour and a toolkit will be developed to support leaders in schools.

“I am concerned about behaviour in schools,” she said. “We’re seeing more and more young people with increasing complexity, with additional learning needs, with mental health issues.

“And we’re also, as a result, seeing more challenges with behaviour and I do believe the situation has become worse since the pandemic.”

Ms Neagle explained that Estyn will carry out a thematic review of behaviour in Welsh schools, with the education inspectorate due to report in May.

She said: “Now that the trial is over … there will be a process that’s gone through to learn the wider lessons of what happened in the run up to that terrible day in Ysgol Dyffryn Aman.”

Crime

Local carpenter retains driving licence despite previous ban

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A Herbrandston carpenter has been allowed to keep his driving licence despite a previous driving disqualification for using his mobile phone whilst driving.

Addressing District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week, Simon Shaw stressed the disqualification was having a major impact on his work commitment as well as his ability to support members of his family.

“If the ban continues, at least two of my five employees will have to be lost” said Shaw, who works as a self-employed carpenter operating from Herbrandston and the Milford Haven Industrial Estate.

“We travel throughout the whole of West Wales and also work at Thorne Island, where we’ve been providing logistical support for renovations for the last four years.”

Shaw, of Triplestone Close, Herbrandston, went on to say that his business has only one other driver who works as a reserve fire fighter.

“As a result, he’s not available to provide the 24 hour cover we provide to various care homes in the county,” he said.

Simon Shaw concluded by stating that his daughter is also dependent on his support having recently given birth to twins while his son-in-law and his partner’s mother are both currently undergoing serious healthcare treatments.

“I’m trying to provide as much logistical support for them as I can, but without my driving licence, this is impossible,” he said.

After listening to his comments, Judge Layton granted Shaw permission to retain his licence.

Crime

Delivery driver caught twice over legal drink-drive limit

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A DELIVERY driver has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel when he was over twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Twenty-nine year old Sam Rowe was stopped by officers just before 9.30 am on April 20 as he drove his Vauxhall Vivaro along Ferry Lane in Pembroke Dock.

“His speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week.

“There was also a strong smell of intoxicants emanating from him.”

When spoken to by the officers, Rowe stated he’d drunk a pint of alcohol approximately an hour before being stopped, however subsequent breathalyser tests showed he had no less than 75 mcg of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 35.

Rowe, of Hazel Close, Pontypool, pleaded guilty to the offence and was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher who informed the court that the defendant was holidaying in Pembrokeshire at the time of the offence.

“His daughter fell ill and he was attempting to find painkillers for her at a supermarket,” he said. “He’s very remorseful and is now going to lose his job as a delivery driver.”

Rowe, who has no previous convictions, was disqualified from driving for a total of 20 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Crime

Police tip-off leads to driving ban for Milford motorist

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE motorist has lost his licence after police received information that the 40-year-old male may have been driving under the influence of drugs.

This week Haverfordwest Magistrates court was told that at around 8.30pm on November 22 officers received a call informing them that Michael Miles was suspected of driving his Peugeot Bipper through Milford Haven after consuming drugs.

Miles was subsequently stopped on Marble Hall Road and when spoken to by the officers, he informed them that he was a drug user. A saliva sample tested positive for cocaine while further tests carried out at the police station showed that Miles had 760 mcg of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine in his system, the legal limit being 50.

Miles, of Milford Road, Steynton, chose to be legally unrepresented in court and pleaded guilty to the drug-driving charge.

The probation service said he was very remorseful for the offence and has since had appointments with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Service to help him deal with his drug usage. Miles was served with an interim driving disqualification however as a result of his previous non-payment of fines, his punitive sentencing was adjourned to Thursday, May 7.

“If you pay your outstanding fines before Thursday, you will be fined for this offence,” warned District Judge Mark Layton. “But if you don’t pay, you will be given a custodial sentence.”