Crime
New visa rules could worsen Parc Prison staffing crisis
Warning that UK prisons ‘could collapse’ if thousands of foreign officers are forced to leave
THE UK prison system could face “collapse” under new visa rules that risk forcing thousands of officers out of work – a warning that could have serious implications for HMP Parc in Bridgend, already struggling with chronic staff shortages and mounting criticism over safety.
Confidential data obtained by ITV News shows more than 2,600 prison staff across England and Wales are foreign nationals working on right-to-work visas.
Under Home Office rules introduced in July, anyone earning below the new £41,700 salary threshold may be unable to renew their visa and could face deportation when it expires.
A source within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service said around 2,200 of those affected are frontline officers, with the rest in administrative and support roles.
Starting salaries for prison officers range from £33,750 to £44,500, meaning many will fall below the new threshold – particularly those based outside London.
The Prison Officers’ Association has warned that the loss of so many experienced officers could “totally destabilise” the prison estate.
National chair Mark Fairhurst said: “We simply cannot afford to lose that many frontline staff. If the government does not exempt the prison service from the new salary thresholds, many prisons will not be able to function.”
The Prison Governors’ Association added that the loss of these workers would “leave a gap that cannot easily be filled,” calling the change “short-sighted and damaging”.
Potential impact on Parc
Although the Home Office has not released prison-by-prison figures, G4S run HMP Parc – Wales’s largest jail housing many prisoners from Pembrokeshire – is believed to recruit beyond the local labour market to fill vacancies.
Inspection reports have repeatedly highlighted problems with staff turnover, reliance on agency officers, and pressures caused by overcrowding and record numbers of deaths in custody.
If even a small number of Parc’s officers were affected by the new visa threshold, insiders warn it could “make a bad situation worse” at a prison already under strain.
Crime
Drug trafficker must repay £33,000 after court rules he made nearly £500,000
A PEMBROKESHIRE drug trafficker jailed after a major cocaine and cannabis seizure has been ordered to repay more than £33,000.
Dean Evans, 44, returned to Swansea Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing after prosecutors sought to recover money made through his offending.
The court heard it had been agreed that Evans benefited from criminal conduct by £496,533.94. However, his available assets were calculated at £33,337.37.
Judge Catherine Richards made a confiscation order for that amount and gave Evans three months to pay. If he fails to do so, he faces a further year in prison.
Evans, of St Clements Park, Freystrop, is already serving an eight-year sentence after admitting possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.
He was caught after Dyfed-Powys Police’s Roads Policing Unit stopped his Seat Ateca on Holyland Road, Pembroke, at around 10:25am on January 2.
Officers searched the vehicle after Evans admitted they would find “stuff” inside.
They discovered around one kilogram of cocaine in a cardboard box in the boot, together with 5.4 kilograms of cannabis in a black bin bag. The cannabis had been split into ten vacuum-sealed bags.
Swansea Crown Court was previously told the drugs had a combined potential street value of up to £185,000, made up of around £125,000 of cocaine and cannabis worth up to £60,000.
A mobile phone seized from Evans revealed what prosecutors described as a “dealer’s list”, with dozens of names and sums believed to be owed. Messages also showed Evans directing dealers below him in the supply chain.
At the original sentencing hearing, the court was told Evans had 23 previous convictions for 62 offences, including rape and robbery. His previous drug matters had related only to possession.
Sarah John, mitigating, said he had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had stayed out of trouble for a “fairly lengthy period”, with his last conviction in 2016.
Jailing Evans for eight years, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “You are clearly a man with few criminal boundaries.
“You ensnared users and low-level drug dealers into debt, dragging them into a vicious circle of criminality.”
After sentencing, DC Phill Jones, of Pembrokeshire’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said illegal drugs brought misery to local communities and would not be tolerated.
He said: “This sentence should serve as a stark warning to any others who are tempted into the illegal drugs trade. You will get caught and you will go to prison.”
Photo caption: Drugs seized:
Dean Evans was caught with cocaine and cannabis worth up to £185,000 in his car (Pic: Dyfed-Powys Police).
Crime
Man wanted by court after failing to attend hearing over alleged shop thefts
A MAN is wanted by the courts after failing to attend a hearing relating to a series of alleged shop thefts in Pembrokeshire.
Jack Morgan, of Pembroke, was due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Jun 16) but failed to attend.
The court heard that Morgan faces several allegations of shop theft from businesses in Pembrokeshire.
The charges include the alleged theft of vodka from the Co-op in Pembroke Dock, along with food and drink items including sausages, crisps and Dragon Soop from The Green Garage.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place on various dates earlier this year.
After Morgan failed to attend court, magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest without bail.
He will now be brought before the court once located by police.
Court officials heard that the matters remain before the court and no pleas have yet been entered.
Crime
Shop theft admitted after alcohol stolen from Haverfordwest store
A WOMAN has admitted shoplifting alcohol from a Haverfordwest store.
Esme Hoyle appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Jun 16) charged with theft from a shop.
The court heard that Hoyle stole alcohol worth £17 from B&M in Haverfordwest on Sunday, April 6.
Hoyle pleaded guilty to the offence.
Magistrates sentenced Hoyle following her guilty plea and imposed financial penalties, including prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.
The court was told the offence related to a low-value retail theft from the town centre store.
Retail theft continues to place pressure on local businesses across Pembrokeshire, with stores increasingly reporting repeated incidents of shoplifting.
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