A MAN who recently lost a by-election standing for the Reform UK party has been co-opted onto Haverfordwest Town Council — just two days before political graffiti appeared at Withybush Retail Park.

Scott Thorley, who stood for Reform UK in the Prendergast by-election earlier this year, was appointed to Haverfordwest Town Council during a co-option meeting on Thursday (Apr 17).

Mr Thorley came fourth in a closely fought six-way contest for a seat on Pembrokeshire County Council, securing 71 votes. The by-election, held on Tuesday, February 11, was triggered by the resignation of former Conservative councillor Andrew Edwards, who stepped down following widespread backlash over racist comments attributed to him.

Independent candidate Alun Wills ultimately won the seat with 199 votes (31.6%), ahead of Kaleb Jenkins (Welsh Liberal Democrats, 160), Mike Mathias (Welsh Conservative, 136), Scott Thorley (Reform UK, 71), Alison Tudor (Welsh Labour, 57), and James Henry Purchase (Wales Green Party, 8).

But on Saturday morning (Apr 19), just two days after Mr Thorley’s co-option, residents and shoppers were greeted with a string of large political slogans sprayed across walls and walkways at Withybush Retail Park. Messages included: “KEIR STARMER OUT, REFORM IN! GOD SAVE US” and a separate large slogan reading: “VOTE REFORM” — all daubed in white capital letters.

The incident has since been reported to Dyfed-Powys Police.

Speaking to The Pembrokeshire Herald, new town councillor Scott Thorley said: “Whoever has done this, it is vandalism plain and simple.”

Mr Thorley, who works at the retail park himself, said he did not notice the graffiti when arriving at work and was only made aware after a colleague sent him photos by phone.

He added: “The phrase ‘God Save Us’ doesn’t really sound like something a younger person would write — maybe it’s someone older. But whoever it was, this was not done by Reform. It does not help us — it’s embarrassing.”

Mr Thorley also noted the timing of the incident, saying: “It’s a bit fishy this happened less than two days after I was accepted onto the town council.”

Haverfordwest county councillor Thomas Baden Tudor told The Herald: “Damage to public or private property is completely unacceptable, and if anyone has any information on who carried out this act of vandalism, please contact Crimestoppers anonymously — online at crimestoppers-uk.org or by phone on 0800 555 111.

“They’ll ask questions about the crime but won’t ask about you.

“Antisocial behaviour is not tolerated or acceptable in Haverfordwest.”

He added: “Alternatively, anyone with information can also call Dyfed-Powys Police on 101.

The Pembrokeshire Herald contacted new county councillor Alun Wills by telephone for a comment. He said: “I have not seen the graffiti yet, I have just come back from work.” Cllr Wills said he had seen a media post about the incident, believed to be on The Herald’s Facebook page.

At the time of going to press, we are awaiting Cllr Wills to come back to us with a further comment.

The police have been contacted for a statement.

A HAVERFORDWEST man has appeared in court accused of assaulting and strangling a woman on two separate occasions.

Ali Miah, aged 33, of Bush Row, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Apr 16), facing three charges.

The court heard that Miah is accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation during an incident in Haverfordwest on April 13. He also faces a further charge of intentional strangulation, alleged to have taken place on November 1, 2023, involving the same woman.

The case was sent to Swansea Crown Court, where Miah is due to appear to enter his pleas on May 16.

He was granted bail.

A CAMPAIGN to secure compensation for Brian Buckle – a man who spent over five years in prison before being cleared of all charges – has now gained more than 39,000 signatures.

Mr Buckle was convicted in 2017 of 16 counts of rape and sexual assault, but in 2022 the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction after new evidence emerged. At a retrial, it took a jury less than an hour to find him not guilty on all counts.

Despite this, the Ministry of Justice has refused to award Mr Buckle compensation for the time he spent in prison, citing a requirement to “prove innocence beyond reasonable doubt” – a standard which critics say is almost impossible to meet.

The petition, hosted on Change.org and backed by his legal team and supporters, has been signed by more than 39,000 people. Although widely shared and supported, the petition is not on the official UK Parliament petitions site and therefore cannot by itself trigger a debate in the House of Commons.

However, Mr Buckle’s case has already been raised in Parliament. On March 19, 2025, Ceredigion MP Ben Lake used a Westminster Hall debate on miscarriage of justice compensation to highlight the case, describing the situation as “a moral and legal failure”.

Mr Lake told fellow MPs: “Brian Buckle was imprisoned for over five years for crimes he did not commit. He lost his liberty, his livelihood, and missed key moments in his daughter’s life. He was cleared of all charges, and yet the Ministry of Justice says he has not proven his innocence enough to be compensated.”

Mr Buckle’s barrister, Stephen Vullo KC, said the current system is broken: “The bar is so high that hardly anyone can jump it. If the Court of Appeal quashes a conviction and a jury later finds a person not guilty on all counts, what more should be required?”

The Ministry of Justice acknowledged Mr Buckle’s acquittal, but insisted that his application did not meet the strict criteria under Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. In a letter, the Ministry stated: “You are presumed to be and remain innocent of the charges brought against you. However, we do not consider that you have demonstrated this innocence beyond reasonable doubt.”

Mr Buckle said the process has left him feeling re-traumatised: “I’m not asking for millions. I just want the injustice I suffered to be acknowledged. The compensation wouldn’t even cover my lost wages, but it would help me start to rebuild my life.”

His family raised and spent significant funds to secure the evidence needed to clear his name – including selling his father-in-law’s house to pay for legal fees and investigations. Tragically, his father-in-law died before the retrial.

Campaigners are now calling for the law to be changed so that those who are cleared of serious crimes following a wrongful conviction are entitled to automatic compensation.

The Herald understands that while Mr Buckle’s Change.org petition cannot trigger a debate in Parliament, there remains the possibility that further political pressure could result in formal policy review or a government rethink.